So Be It
by Materia-Blade
Summary: COMPLETE A Ranma SM Wheel Of Time Crossover A story that started with a simple kidnapping, but ended as a tale of disasterous results affecting thousands of people from worlds away...
1. Freedom for Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, Sailor Moon, or Wheel of Time. They belong to Rumuko Takahashi, some other person, and Robert Jordan. If they wish to sue go ahead, but be forwarned, you will lose. I'm underage!

(To anyone I know... PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR WRITING A SAILOR MOON CROSSOVER!)

(To anyone I don't know... Same thing.)

(To everyone... leave a review? Please? Pritty Please?)

**Prologue****

* * *

**

The air is cold... the air is -always- cold now. I can see how the jackets are getting thicker. The great freeze is coming again... once again I must watch a different person's viewpoint of the Great Freeze.

Ever since that evil woman began... began to freeze the planet. I don't know how she did it... but I know she did. The last time I saw her she said it was for her dream of Crystal Tokyo...

Now I am forced to watch, helpless, as the world freezes. I am incased, to be imprisoned, for who knows how long. The evil woman has not visited me for almost three thousand years I think. I wouldn't know... I can't even mark days. I don't think that there are days where I am. That is the only knowledge I have any longer. The mirror. She left it near me... probably as torture... so I could watch and see. See the destruction of the world I once called home through the eyes of all of them... every person... one... after another...

Watch the melding of my world, into their own.

Tokyo's buildings had been encased in ice... The great American cities like New York and San Francisco were burned and destroyed. No lives were taken... but it was horrible. The woman... the green haired tramp who imprisoned me. She is no lover of peace and justice as her princess says. She is a menace... a... monarch. All of them are.

It is dark... Nothing but dark. I also assume that I could walk forever in this void... this, gap between space and time. But... Should I stray to far from the mirror, I feel the hunger... thirst... as if the three thousand years without drink and food are catching up to me... and the further I walk... the more the mirror beckons to me. And the more hungry and thirsty I become...

I have tried to destroy the mirror, hundreds, thousands of times... but... it has not even suffered a scratch. All my efforts were for naught...

So I watch each life... each one with a happy ending... each one living in the age of Crystal Tokyo... Happily. Under the rule of Queen Serena.

Their life... the mirrors visions of them, always changes to another person at about ten years into the reign of Serena as Queen of the Galaxy.

It makes my blood boil. Happily living under monarchy? No. This is not right.

I have nothing to do. So, I am forced to wait. I train and I train. I have no idea how strong I have become. My ki tears light into the void that is my prison. Blasts go on for hundred's of miles before my keen eyesight finally loses any sight of them.

I even whiten the entire void with my aura and still... it is nothing but a small light within thousands upon millions of miles of darkness.

I know that I am slipping into insanity. Forced to watch the life of every single person, from the point after I was imprisoned. I could somehow watch a person's entire life in a fast forward of sorts... hoping... ever hoping that someday, I will see the life of the woman I sacrificed my masculinity and freedom for.

Someday... somehow... I'll see her again. My... My tomboy... My Akane. I know that I can reach her... I know it...

And I will keep trying. If it takes until the end of time...

**So be it.**

**Chapter 1: Freedom for Life**

The wind swept his pigtail to the left wildly, along with moving his bangs out of his eyes. The angering voice of the wind trying to force him to submit to it's fury. Of course, it did the same to everyone else taking the road to Furinkan... namely Akane, which Ranma couldn't help but notice.

Nabiki walked beside the two, watching Ranma and Akane as they avoided speaking with each other. It had been this way ever since this morning when Nabiki had let out an incredible yelp.

Ranma, being the idiot he was, had snuck into Akane's room the previous night. For once however, Nabiki decided she would turn the camera's on. Usually she avoided doing so, as it was now simply a waste of battery to watch Ranma try to steal P-chan from Akane. But this time she had information that would flip Nerima upside down.

"I can't believe you two!" Nabiki cried suddenly, her ears turning red from the strain she'd been under. She'd never suspected. Not even once that they had actually been...

They both looked down, ashamed.

"I can't believe you two!" She repeated, expressing her surprise and almost disappointment.

Their heads, if possible, shrunk further.

"You're not even married yet!" She cried.

Akane's face had turned into the shade akin to that of an apple, as she was drenched in the shame and embarrassment of Nabiki's words. Ranma faired little better.

After a moment, realizing that she had probably gotten her point across to the two young lovers, she moved in for the kill. This information, if exhibited correctly, could more then likely set them all up for a life of retirement and joy. And she was just the business woman to do it.

"I'm not usually this nice... but I'll keep it under wraps, on a payment plan of 100,000 yen. Plus Eleven-point-five percent interest over the next four years." The middle Tendo said with a sigh, glad that her younger sister, and likely soon-to-be brother-in-law were so predictable.

Akane glanced at Ranma. "Ugh... Ranma, maybe we should just get this over with." She stated. The girl cocked her head to the side and looked at Nabiki with almost a smirk at the shocked look on her older sister's face.

'Get it over with. That's not in the standard responses for Akane. Where'd the blush go?' Nabiki thought alarmed. Nabiki pictured Akane giving her a mental malleting. She had not expected this.

"Eh... hai. Probably better then owin' Nabiki another hundred thousand yen..." Ranma replied confidently. He swept his hair up and out of his eyes, as the wind had begun to fail its task.

'What happened?' Thought the ever-over-calculating brain of Nabiki. 'They were both completely ashamed and embarrassed ten seconds ago!'

Ranma grin was contagious apparently as Akane was now wearing one of similar quality. They had not been ashamed of what they had done. No. Their shame lay with the fact that, for the first time since their first attempt, Ranma had forgotten to use his ki and temporarily short circuit the cameras, and recording devices that Nabiki decorated the entire home with.

"Bout' time anyway right Aka-chan?" He stated, staring Akane in the eyes with an expression Nabiki had never seen before.

"Damn straight, Ranma-sama" She replied, somehow perfectly imitating Ranma's usual tone.

Nabiki was utterly confused. What the hell was going on? Ranma and Akane were getting along... Aka-Chan? Ranma-Sama? This was going from bad to worse, but that's not to say she wasn't capable of flexibility. She was Nabiki, and regardless of how this went down, she would rake it in.

She was still quite stunned though.

"Wha... Am... am I missing something?" Nabiki asked.

"Heh heh... Oneesan... You aren't all that easy to fool... but we held out for three months..." Akane replied with a smirk holding up her middle three fingers on her right hand.

Three months. It had been three months since the Failed Wedding Fiasco. They had... that night the... they had... ooh...

"I feel woozy..." Nabiki commented, as she recalled the awkward sounds coming from Akane's room that night that she had mistaken for a whining, Jusenkyo cursed Lost-Boy. How mistaken had she been. She'd never even contemplated.

Akane suddenly turned and leaned over, bringing her face near Ranma's. And with hardly any hesitation whatsoever, they kissed.

Nerima had not flipped over yet.

However Nabiki had the strangest feeling that she was hanging upside down. She supposed, in the seconds before she blacked out, that the scene she had walked in on this morning had been so utterly unbelievable and surreal that it had simply washed over her. Because this one was real. And equally impossible. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and, for the first time in her entire life that she could remember... she feinted.

Akane giggled and Ranma outright laughed. Suddenly another sly grin appeared on Ranma's face.

"Aka-chan, I guess since it's out in the open now, we might as well get a little revenge, eh? Where's Nabiki's camera?" He asked. "This will be priceless! She probably _pay us_ to get it back!"

Akane's face took on a maniacal appearance as she nodded in agreement. Silently, she was impressed with the idea. It wasn't really too rare for Ranma to have a particularly sly idea, she'd found in the last three months. Since Saffron, she and he had grown closer then ever before. They loved each other, and admitted it the night of the failed wedding, but had decided it would be best kept secret for as long as possible.

Three months had been quite a bit longer then either were suspecting, knowing that neither of them were particularly good at lying and Nabiki was notorious for sniffing out secrets. In short, they'd been lucky. Apparently, even though the cat was out of the bag, they still seemed to have a little bit of luck left. These photo's would _kill_ Nabiki's image and, in turn, she'd kill to get them back! Hah hah!

"Gomen Oneesan... " She sighed before taking her camera off of her unconscious person and snapping a few shots

They both stood and started off on their way back to the school when they suddenly noticed about seven or eight other unconscious bodies lying around. One was the unmistakable form of Ukyo. Neither of them had actually realized there had been a slew of other people watching them. It seemed Ukyo had fallen off a roof.

"Heh... maybe we... took it a little far." Ranma quipped, in slight irritation. Ukyo had been spying on him. Again. She'd been his best friend once, but ever since the wedding his anger had been on a steadily increasing boil. It had reached the point now that he completely ignored his ex-best-friend's unconscious form. They began to walk down the sidewalk towards the school, talking as they went.

"Maybe... But I don't care. Since this is in the open you'd better break the other engagements Ranma." Akane stated, with a controlled however, threatening tone.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know. I promised." Ranma replied while holding up his hands defensively. "I will break it off with all of them today." He finished.

A moment or two of silence passed as Akane leaned into his arm, hanging around her shoulder in a way that would have anyone who knew the pair staring in disbelief. Then Ranma thought of something. "Hey what was up with that? You never called me Ranma-Sama before."

Akane thought a moment, trying to come up with a reason for the strange form of address. Even in private she'd never called Ranma that before. "I figured that I'd better use something a little more familiar then San or Kun... Sama seems to fit." She replied as she casually set her feet in time with his. "Plus... I couldn't use Ukyo's Ran-chan... it's just not right."

'Oh... I've just waited so long for us to get this out in the open! No more acting!' Akane thought happily. She gave Ranma the smile that she now knew, made his heart stop beating. Well... he'd never actually _said_ that. That would be a bit too corny, even for her. But by his reaction, she hoped it did.

Ranma stared at Akane, her smile blooming like a mid-spring morning. She was... beautiful.

Therefore he _had_ to make fun of her. "Why are smiling like that? You look like an idiot!" He vaguely remembered saying the same thing, a long time ago while hanging outside her window. That made him smile.

She, on the other hand, boiled.

Her mallet appeared, and she slammed it downward as hard as she could, preparing to pummel the pervert's head in. And stopped centimeters from his head. The gazed into each other's eyes a moment... and burst into laughter.

After a short time they began to realize that people were staring at them. Many were completely frozen in shock at the sight of the two laughing together. But some were simply wide-eyed. So they calmed themselves again until one of them began a civil conversation.

Ranma took his opportunity. It was what he had been afraid of for a very long time. However, now it seemed unimportant but he decided perhaps he should consult Akane.

"So Aka-chan..." Ranma asked. "You know... now that people are gonna know bout' this... our pop's are gonna' wanna' get us hitched... So um... well. I figured that maybe it would be a little better if I asked if you have any problem with that?" Ranma asked, carefully choosing his words.

While insults from Ranma didn't hurt Akane's feelings any longer, knowing now that they had been merely forms of pushing her away... Ranma was still Ranma and there-by famous for making the worst possible comment at the worst possible time. This time however, he was fortunate.

"Ranma-sama... I've been thinking about that too... well. I... at first I wanted to wait... but. I... I can't say that I'd mind if we were married. It would really help to deal with all your fiancee problems. Ranma... If we are forced into it... I have no problems' marrying you. But... if they let us wait till high school is over... lets go with that ok?" Akane said.

Ranma simply answered, "Definitely."

A moment of silence passed before Akane broke it, curiously. "Why did you ask? Now I mean?"

Ranma stepped a few steps ahead of her and smirked, looking back over his shoulder. "I love you, Aka-chan, and I wanted to ask even though it's already sorta set and everything... Will you marry me?"

Akane just grinned. They'd been engaged for so long that this whole thing was pointless. Fortunately, Akane had never been one for the, on one knee thing, and their two and a half year long Omiai was more then enough for her to make up her mind on this. It almost seemed silly after the unbelievable night they'd had after the failed wedding.

"Of course, you baka." She replied, stepping casually under his arm once more, while throwing hers lovingly around his back.

Everyone was different. So Sayuri and Yuka could have their annoyingly romantic boys proposing at immaculate dinners, full moons, and arrays of candlelights. It took her years to realize it, but she didn't want that. She never had.

Ranma wasn't romantic. Neither was she as it turned out. And that's _exactly_ how she wanted it.

* * *

The rest of the walk to school had been uneventful for the most part. There was Kuno's abrupt appearance and departure, but that was in some ways more uneventful than usual. Even though it was still Nerima, crazy as ever, Ranma couldn't help but feel he was being watched. He'd felt these sort of things before, but usually only _after_ eating Akane's cooking.

It didn't matter of course... he loved her. But her cooking was still only comparable to that of week old bird droppings.

Suddenly Akane turned toward him, forcing him away from his thoughts.

"So Ranma?" She asked. "Should we... just act like normal at school or should we just tell everyone ourselves?"

"No!" Came a sudden shout from behind them. "No, no, _no!_ You can't just tell every one, you baka! Act like a couple! And then everyone will come to me to find out what's going on. Your story gets out. I make loads. Win win, right?" Nabiki exhaled exhaustedly as she appeared. It seemed she had been running to catch up. Rare that.

Akane looked at her sister like she had grown a third leg. Nabiki did _not_ show emotion. Ever. Though she almost seemed to be acting like... well... like Ranma! All desperate like this. Why the hell was this so vital to her?

"Oneechan... why... is it so important to sell this? Why do you have to constantly make money off of the two of us?" Akane asked.

"This isn't money Akane!" Nabiki said sternly. She rose to her feet. "This.. this is bullions. This information, if sold right, could get twenty thousand yen from every customer! And that's _without_ the tape copies! Akane-chan! I...! _We_ could be set for life!" Nabiki exclaimed, giddily. It was quite obvious the girl was idly fantasizing, though admittedly, it wasn't very far fetched to say that. People were generally quite interested in Ranma and Akane's relationship.

"Really Nabiki-chan?" Akane asked somewhat excited. Then thought a moment. "_No tape copies!"_

"Well... since it's going to get out anyway Akane, why don't we just let her do it? I have no problem making money off my love life." Ranma said.

Akane twitched. Sometimes he just really _had_ to be hit. It just... ugh. She gave a more irritated then angry roar as her mallet was summoned and raised.

"Oops..." Was Ranma's last coherent thought before he was forced like a nail into the concrete below him.

"Baka..." Akane mumbled as she turned around.

"I'll, heh heh, take that as... ha... a yes ok Akane-chan?" Nabiki tried to say through her laughs. It had been pathetically funny, even though Ranma really hadn't meant anything by it. Saotome sure was an idiot when it came to speaking before you think.

Akane turned and glared at her. "This is your fault you know. We get ten percent profit. Go." She stated quickly. She turned back to Ranma, grabbed his shoulder blades and tried to pry her lover out of his nail-like position in the concrete.

Nabiki walked away and shouted "See you later!" through her laughs.

"Baka.." Akane mumbled though this time it was directed to Nabiki.

Suddenly, Ranma came to, his incredible healing kicking in to easily wake him in almost perfect condition. Save for the fact that he was currently drilled into the concrete.

"Eh... Akane... wha'did you hit me for, you tomboy! I didn't do nothin!" He cried.

She smiled and his anger melted away.

"I'm really sorry, Ranma-sama... but you're still an idiot." She said.

"Yeah... 'm sorry too. Gomen." Ranma replied. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly it was he was sorry for, though.

Suddenly he noticed where he was.

"Hey? How am I gonna get outta here?" He asked worriedly, realizing that his arms were buried and he could hardly move. He struggled, but the strong concrete didn't budge.

"Uh... Well. I'm gonna be late! See you after class Ranma!" Akane teased with a twinkle in her eyes as she stood and dashed off.

"Oh you have _got _to be _kidding me!_" He cried after her running form. Despite his situation and the impending doom of the morning bell, he couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her. She _was_ beautiful.

Akane felt his eyes on her and, teasing him a bit more, quickly turned around and flashed him a smile. Then she continued running. His eyes couldn't help but shift to her backside as his low position left him a good view of her panties with each stride. It was days like this, he loved the Furinkan High School Girl's Uniform. But only on Akane, especially now that it was fine for him to look.

She rounded the corner into the building and, moments after that she appeared in the home room window, holding a chair.

"Hey Ranma!" She shouted. "This ought to help!"

She lobbed the chair out the window and it crashed directly into the concrete right near him, busting into pieces but managed to break the concrete enough for him to free himself. He jumped up, grabbed his book bag, and immediately scaled the wall to the second floor window and into the class.

Just after the bell rang.

"Ranma Saotome! You're late! Go stand in the hall!" The teacher shouted.

"Damn it!" Ranma cursed.

Akane giggled and Ranma couldn't help but smirk a little.

They kissed and he left the room.

The loud clang he heard indicated that most of the room had also fainted.

Akane felt unpopular. Everyone else was fainting. Why couldn't she?

* * *

The green haired woman, dressed in deep black and white surrounded in the mist that had been her guard post for the past twenty thousand years, muttered a few incoherent words as she worked. And then, she began whistling.

'I've finally found it! I've finally found _you_. You're the cause of it's length. Your the one keeping Crystal Tokyo from forming. Well.. I'll change that!' The woman exclaimed giddily.

Setsuna Meioh, currently known as Pluto, stood at the time gate, watching as she always did. She, was all in all, very pleased. She had finally found the root of all her problems. The single person that had forced the coming of Crystal Tokyo to be so far away. He also apparently had been doing this for some time. For every time his soul was reborn... it screwed with her timelines.

With him, this Ranma Saotome, gone, her dream, her queen's dreem, Crystal Tokyo, could finally be realized in a small number of years! All it would take was removing one man, and then the dream of millions could _finally _be realized.

Pluto's conscience suddenly began to tell her how wrong it would be to kill someone for her dreams.

"But they aren't my dreams! They are reality! This person is the only thing that stands between the dream and the reality!" She fought herself.

She grit her teeth. No.. she could not abuse her position and do something like kill a person.

But.. she could...

"That's it!" She thought.

Her plan began to materialize in her mind. It wouldn't be killing him! Just .. imprisoning him.. temporarily.

And by keeping him informed of the happenings of the world, and letting him see how good it would be to have Usagi, Sailor Moon, become the queen of this planet, she could convince him to see it her way. Then she could let him back into the world and he wouldn't alter the time lines. Perfect!

She began to prepare, first, by examining the life of Ranma Saotome. She wasn't worried. She had waited for a very long time. She could wait a while longer.

Crystal Tokyo would exist within the decade!

* * *

"Delinquents! No Public Display's of Affection in School!" Hinako shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Happo five-yen Satsu!" She cried and began the motions. But when she realized that she had grown, the only person she had absorbed was the two students that had somehow appeared in front of Ranma and Akane.

"Ranma Akane. I understand that you two are becoming more... friendly. But please try to refrain from... broadcasting it too much, ok?" She asked with the regained knowledge, and calm attitude of her adult form.

They both bowed their heads.

"Of course Hinako-Sensei." Akane replied.

"Gomen." Ranma stated.

Then the two students they had pulled in front of them slumped to the floor.

"Daisuke." Ranma commented.

"Hiroshi?" Akane questioned.

"Oh.. ehehh.. don't mind us.. it's worth it to see.. Hinako... sensei.." The said in unison. They collapsed back into their desks and slept.

"Perverts..." Akane muttered. At first she'd felt bad that she and Ranma had used them as shields. But, well, time heals all. They'd get over it. Plus, they deserved it anyway.

Hinako turned around and went back to lecturing and endlessly writing on the board, without giving them any more punishment or words, and Ranma couldn't help but feel uncannily lucky.

'I wonder how her chalkboard never seems to run out of room... hmm...' He thought.

Ranma knew this thought, as he had thought it hundreds of times before. It was the first thought that led to boredom... which further led to droopy eyes and finally sleep. He was almost to the last stage of this cycle when suddenly his classmates began to talk among each other.

"Akane! Are you and Ranma really hitting it off? I heard that you kissed him this morning!" Ranma heard from across the room.

"I can't tell. Oneechan is selling the info. Ask her if you wanna know." Akane replied.

The conversation peaked Ranma's interest a bit and he began to listen, though only half heartedly. He idly wondered whether his fiancee would tell her friends or leave them out to dry like he planned on doing with Hiroshi and Daisuke.

"Aw Akane! How can you hold out on your best friends like that! Come on!" One replied. A few more "come on's" followed.

"Well... I can't hold out on you guys." She said as she glanced toward Ranma. He smirked and she blushed.

"Restroom! After class!" She stated. "I'll tell you how it happened."

"Yatta!" the group shouted in unison.

'Guess she will.' Ranma thought. As they danced around suddenly Hinako became aware of their laziness.

"Hey! I gave you students an assignment! And if you can't handle working in groups I'll make you work alone! First and only warning!" She shouted as she stood from her desk. At some point during the lecture she had faded back into her child-like form. A form that was annoyingly easy to irritate.

Most of the class quickly began whispering and overall it did become quiet. For a total of about ten minutes. Then the noise picked up steadily until it had reached the same level it had been at before Ms. Hinako's outburst, and in short order the shouting teacher was completely forgotten.

Fortunately, Hinako had left the room, anyway. She'd thought she heard an ice cream truck, making Ranma roll his eyes even more at the sheer stupidity his teacher could have at times.

"So Ranma. I heard you an Akane are actually actin' like fiancee's now!" Daisuke said as he popped up from behind the pigtailed martial artist, waking him from the comfortable slumber he'd managed to fall back into.

"Gah! Where'd you come from... hey wait. Didn't Hinako drain you earlier?" Ranma asked, confused.

"Eh. I recover quick." Daisuke replied. "Specially when I find out that my buddy is actually showing interest in girls! We were beginning to wonder if you actually swung the right way or not, what with you being half girl and all."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!?" Ranma cried, instantly angered.

Suddenly he turned, the entire room was staring at him as if his head had exploded. They quickly returned to their conversations. Just figuring it was another thing that happened to Ranma. Which, fortunately, it was.

"So man! How far have you gotten with her? You kissed her obviously! I saw it! In first hour!" Daisuke cried.

Ranma waved him away and yelled. "Ah! It's none o' your business!"

"Aw come on man!" Daisuke pleaded. "Akane's telling her friends!"

"Ask Nabiki!" Ranma stated angrily, still quite annoyed at the comment they'd so casually thrown minutes before.

"Ranma-san... don't be like this! Come on! Nabiki would charge me till I'm broke!" Daisuke exclaimed.

"Well then just stop worrying about it! Sides' it ain't your business anyways!" Ranma retorted. He just wanted to go back to sleep. Couldn't they see that?

In an effort to get them to leave him alone he laid his head back on the desk and turned away from the both of them. He would have managed to close his eyes too, if not for the fact that another three boys, Naka, Kosugi, and Namura, were all standing their with the same pleading faces that Daisuke and Hiroshi had.

Ranma jerked back in surprise at the three sets of eyes staring at him. "Wh-what the hell is this, anyways?"

"Come on Ranma! We all wanna know! Just tell us!" Namura demanded.

Ranma's eyes turned, and met Akane's through the circle of boys surrounding him. He was surprised to find that none of the girl's were pestering her and most of them were happily doing their homework. How the hell did she do that?

Sensing Ranma's distress easily Akane sighed and stood up. Before they knew what was happening, Akane waded through the five boys, pushing them out of the way as if they were little more than flies. Reaching him, Akane bent down and kissed him, passionately but sweetly so as to not imply too much. He responded accordingly, by kissing back, with a joyous moan. This wasn't what he'd expected her to do, but it seemed to work! After she was finished, she broke apart from Ranma, her eyes fluttering back open, even though she'd barely realized she'd ever closed them. Coming back to herself, she stood and glared at the culprits.

"You going to stop bugging him, now?" She asked in a mock-cheerful voice.

They nodded.

"Good!" She replied and promptly returned to her seat.

"Ranma... What in the hell _did_ you do to er'?" Daisuke asked, having now returned to his seat, in one final plea for information. In his entire seven years or more, spent growing up in the same grade with Akane Tendo, he'd never once seen her act like that with anyone.

Ranma smirked.

"That's for me to know, and you to keep your nose out of, Dai." He replied.

The bell rang signaling the end of this class.

They left the room, with Ranma instinctively falling in beside Akane through the door.

"Well... that was interesting." Akane said.

"Uh... yeah... Heh. Yeah it was. Um. You know that was... really um. uh... not like you. Your really serious about getting this out in the open, aren't you?" Ranma asked.

He leaned his head to the left and examined her facial expression, with the curiosity of a house cat that is leaving the house for the first time.

"Hey... The more the better. I've wanted this in the open for a couple of weeks now. I told you that." She scowled. "Is... is there a problem?"

Ranma gave her his most confident grin. "Nah. They're just really annoying, and they'll probably be at us like that all day. How you get the girl's to stop pesterin' you anyways?"

Without warning, and before Akane could answer, a student rushed by them and tripped, spilling water all over Ranma. Whoever she was, she seemed to be in an incredible hurry. She scooped up the beakers, that hadn't broken, completely ignoring the broken ones, stood and continued running.

As per the norm, Miss Hinako decided to appear at the front of the hallway just _after_ the true instigator of the accident had left, leaving Ranma looking quite guilty of accidentally breaking whatever the glass object had been.

"Mister Saotome! I hope you don't plan on leaving your mess outside my doorway, do you?" The, once again aged teacher asked, while staring down at the broken glass on the floor.

"... no Ms. Hinako..."

"Good!" She replied and slammed the door to her room.

Akane burst into laughter.

Ranma went to find some hot water, a broom, and a sweep holder.

* * *

'Almot Last class! Almost Last class! Only two classes left!' Ranma sang in his head. His happy thoughts were unfortunately interrupted.

"Ranchan! What's this about you kissing Akane? P-please tell me I was dreaming! I'm you cute fiancee! And I demand to know what the hell is going on!" Ukyo shouted from her position, seven feet behind him.

"Ukyo." Ranma said.

Ukyo was shocked. Ranma hadn't called her by her real name since.. well. Since he had met her. Shocked and very, very worried.

"I'm sorry, Ukyo. I really hoped it wouldn't be you I had to tell first. But I have a promise to keep. And I'm sorry again, but I value my promises more than my pop's. Ukyo... I... i know how much this all mean's to ya, but I just don't love you. I'm breaking the engagement. I like you a lot Ukyo, and you're really cute! But..."

Ranma spoke as rationally as he could, but his well rehearse speeches were flying out the window. He simply couldn't remember what it was he'd wanted to say, and writing it down before hand was the only way he could really get the point across, otherwise he'd thought he'd just flounder it up. He turned away... he knew what would happen if he didn't. If he saw her cry, he wouldn't be able to keep from apologizing. And he had promised. Damn it but he hadn't wanted to hurt her!

Ukyo was sniffling. Trying to hold back the tears of regret. Tears that she should have known she would have to shed a long time ago.

"So... so that's it then? That's... all you have to say? After... after everything I've done for you? All the time and money I spent! Your just... dropping it?! Dropping me again! Da... _damn you_, Ranma!" She cried and then quickly fled.

"I'm sorry, Ukyo. I love Akane." He whispered as his eyes began to water with sorrow at the loss of his friend. He watched her jump from roof to roof, further and further from the school. He began to feel depressed, but he wouldn't let this get him down. He had something... someone to keep him from feeling the depression. He knew she was worth it. Akane actually cared about him, beyond those stupid honor promises.

And... actually, she was waiting in class. In a class he was already late for.

'Crap.' He thought. He dashed toward the classroom.

He ran as fast as he could and gracefully leaped into the window before the bell rang, only to feel the uncomfortable yet rather common twinge of his curse.

"Not that I mind or anything man but why did you have to pick THAT window Ranma? You have the worst luck." Kyosuke commented as he got up. He apparently had just tripped, spilling his soft drink right as Ranma entered the room.

Ranma then felt the feeling he usually got when he was wet with the window open in the early spring.

Cold.

"I... It's... cool. I'll live." Ranma said, though the comment had a double meaning. A shiver flew up her spine as she moved to shut the window.

"Mr. Saotome, may I ask why my floor is all wet and you are currently not male?" The teacher asked suddenly, as he appeared out of no where.

In her mind, Ranma sighed. Why did she always get screwed over with this stuff? "Uh.. Well I..."

"Oh it doesn't matter." The teacher interrupted. "Sit in your seat. You'll just have to go through class as a girl. And leave that window open, would you? It's a bit stuffy in here." The teacher asked mildly.

"... Yes sensei." She replied, not voicing just how much she wanted to leave it closed.

She opened the window, sat down at her window-side seat, and shivered through the entire class, cursing the joking looks of her friends as they watched the wind make her twitch, enjoying her torture. She longed for her warm male body but she wouldn't complain. Girls did that. Even so, she couldn't help but notice Kyosuke laughing every time she jumped when the wind picked up. She also noticed their eyes constantly lingering on her breasts.

God she hated being a girl.

* * *

'Two classes in the same day?' Ranma thought. 'How do I get stuck as a girl for two classes in the same day? That almost never happens!' She thought.

While she was annoyed she would just have to live this time. At least there was no window and no wind with which to freeze her "delicate" self, in this, her final class of the day.

Suddenly a conversation drifted to her ears.

"I love Sailor Mars! I think she is the best of them all!" One shouted.

"No way, Jupiter is way cooler!" Another girl put in.

"What do you think Akane?" The first asked. Akane had been placed inside their work group and so, was forced to listen to them prattle on about meaningless fictional characters, supposedly from the Juuban district. Ranma would have instantly disregarded the conversation if it weren't for the fact that these girls were so loud he couldn't have ignored them through a sound proof wall.

"What's... what's my favorite... planet?" Akane asked.

"No! Which senshi!" The second cried.

"I uh... I don't know what you're talking about." Akane stated. A sweat drop formed on the back of her head.

The two girl's stared at her for a moment as if she'd grown a third or fourth head. Akane didn't even know what the _Senshi _were? It almost disgusted them just how out of touch she seemed to be with the rest of the world. The thought entered their heads at the same moment that, maybe Akane really was the Tomboy Ranma always called her.

"You're kidding, right? Akane you're telling me you've never heard of the Sailor Senshi?" One asked. Ranma knew who this girl was. It was, by her voice, undoubtedly Yuka.

"Uh... no. I've had. Well, stuff has been going on lately and a lot has been on my mind." She replied.

Ranma smirked. He knew what that "a lot" was!

"A lot? Oh! You mean like you and Ranma!" She giggled. "I heard all about that! You little pervert! Akane, I knew there was a guy loving side in you!" Yuka joked.

"What are you all talking about! Of course I like guys!" She exclaimed.

"Hmm... you had half the student body fooled." She said slyly.

"Half the student body was attacking me for a date!" She retorted.

"... Touche."

Akane smirked in superiority at her victory, and then, not wanting for them to dwell on her love life any longer, quickly changed the subject.

"So what are these Senshi anyways?" Akane asked, making sure to edge her voice with just enough sugar to make them completely forget about her and Ranma.

"They are the sailor-suited lovers of Peace and Justice!" The first girl Ranma didn't know exclaimed.

"Protectors of the Weak and Innocent Everywhere!" The other girl Ranma didn't know cried.

"And they look really good while doing' it!" Exclaimed Yuka.

Her two companions stared at her.

"What? They do!" She replied.

"Here Akane. Here's some pictures. These rumors have been around for the better part of two years now. Funny. Started right around when Ranma showed up. Weird, eh? Well, they've only just recently gotten real photo's and proof of their existence. But most people have known about them for a long time. It's actually been almost two months since we've talked about them though. They are a little bit... overly frilly if you ask me."

Akane looked at the pictures for a few moments, staring incredulously at their uniforms. Honestly, they probably had more flexibility then she had in her gi with those frilly things, but that's the _only_ thing they had going for them. "Every guy in the nearest mile next to them must be thinking perverted thoughts!" Akane seethed. "This is almost... pornography!"

Ranma chuckled at that. He'd been trying to tune the conversation out, but it hadn't worked very well. He decided that if you couldn't beat them, join them, and Akane had just left a perfect opening.

"Jeez Akane! Are perverts all you _ever_ think about!" Ranma asked choosing now to make his entrance.

"No... Not all the time. Just whenever there is one in the nearest mile." She said in a menacing tone. "You know anything 'bout these Senshi, Ranma?"

"Ey' Hey! I don't know nothin'. I swear!" Ranma replied quickly. 'Me and my big mouth.'

Instantly Akane's face brightened. "Good!"

"So what _are_ you guys talkin' about over here?" She asked. She glanced over Akane's shoulder and looked at the pictures and then quickly looked away, quite surprised at the content of the magazine in her hands. Just on the single page alone he saw no less then four blown up skirts, on nine extremely scantily dressed girls, all of which were beautiful in the extreme.

"Jeez Akane! And you call _me_ a pervert!" Ranma said.

Her friends burst out laughing, while Akane boiled.

"Ranma NO BAKA!" She cried summoning her mallet and this time actually using it to create a Ranma sized hole in the ceiling.

"Oh my." Yuka commented.

"Don't do that. you sound like Kasumi." Akane replied.

Yuka stood up and bent over to stare at Akane's face.

"Hey... I thought you were getting along with Ranma?" She asked.

"I am! He asked me to keep malleting him when he said stupid things!" She said.

A moment of silence once more, before Yuka casually commented, "That wasn't stupid. It was just funny."

Slowly the earsplitting scream of someone falling to earth came back into hearing range as a red haired girl flew directly through the hole she had just created, slamming into the wooden floors, splintering them, but fortunately not breaking anything.

"Welcome back Ranma-chan!" Akane said happily.

"Heh... sorry tomboy. Note to self. Don't call you a pervert." The redhead said with a wink as she painstakingly lifted herself from the ground, Akane helping gladly. She wasn't really all that angry, and she knew Ranma could barely even feel her mallet these days. It was more like a pastime really. When Ranma was full standing she leaned up to Akane, placing her hand around the taller girl's neck, and kissed her. Then she turned, sat at her desk, and instantly fell asleep.

Yuka and her friends stared in shock.

It didn't take Akane long to realize google eyes were being directed at her and she turned towards her two friends in confusion. "What!? I thought we discussed this!"

"But he was a _she_!" They exclaimed, simultaneously.

"... ... Eheheheh... eh..."

* * *

Ranma was getting annoyed. It was five minutes past the usual time the bell was supposed to ring, but it wasn't ringing. He, though still a she at the time, was a perfect human clock when it came to counting down time, at least in class. She always awoke at exactly three o'clock when the bell rang. While today the bell hadn't rung, she awoke on reflex.

Six minutes...

Seven...

Eight minutes after three o'clock he, though still a she, had become truly annoyed. She lifted her head from its sleeping position, buried between her arms, and looked at the clock.

It rested at two thirty one.

"Wha...?" She thought.

A closer inspection of the clock made her realize something. The second hand was not moving.

Looking around he noticed something even more peculiar. The people. The people were not moving. As if they had been frozen.

"What the heck is going on?" She voiced, but the only thing that greeted her was still, frozen bodies.

Ranma began to panic a bit as he stood, instantly looking to Akane. She wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing. Nothing. For a moment he waved his hands in front of her eyes, but they didn't blink. As if she were a statue. As if all of them were statues.

"What the hell!?" She shouted, after she'd examined a few more of the statues that were normally people. Looking out the window, she found the few students walking along the sidewalks to be frozen solid as well. Everything, frozen and silent.

"Hmm. So... you're the one that's causing all these problems." Ranma heard a definitely female voice say as it echoed throughout the room.

"Hey! Who's there?" She cried. Her voiced echoed, just like the woman's had, through the silence. It reverberated a few times before finally fading away, making her shiver in trepidation. Somehow, it was as if time had been halted. For everyone, but her.

"What is going on?" She asked receiving the same effects. She thoroughly inspected the rest of the room. The teacher had his pointer towards the chalkboard, and had apparently been in the middle of explaining something when he was frozen.

'The teacher usually lets us do our homework at half passed two. How long have... how long have they been frozen like this?' She thought.

She glanced over the final few in the room that she hadn't already looked over, and then rechecked those she had, noticing Kyosuke and Daisuke's eyes were both lingering on where her breast had been, slightly squished onto her desk.

"Damn perverts," She thought.

"Well. I'm sorry Ranma Saotome... but you will soon see that this is for the best." The voice said. It did not echo this time and it came from directly behind her.

Ranma turned to see a woman with long green hair, staring at her with old and piercing eyes. She wore a rather revealing fuku and held a staff almost as tall as herself. Ranma couldn't help but recognize the similarity between this woman and the girls in the photo's Akane had been holding earlier in class.

"Who are you? You aren't another fiancée are you?" Ranma demanded as she casually fell into an unassuming, yet heavily defensive stance.

She chuckled. "That would be your first reaction wouldn't it? No. No, I need you to come with me. Because you are a variable that must be, at least temporarily, exterminated."

"Hey," Ranma replied. "If it's a fight you want then a fight you've got."

"I'm sorry, young one. I don't intend to fight you. I need to convince you to... leave for a while." She said.

"Leave?" Ranma asked, relaxing her stance slightly.

"Yes. You must come with me and leave Tokyo for about... oh fifteen years." She stated. "Why would I wanna do, that!" Ranma cried. "I'm sorry. I have a fiancee. And ain't no demi-god or time stopping girl gonna keep me from marrying her!"

Ranma suddenly realized how awkward it was that he, as a girl, was proclaiming love for another girl, but didn't get the chance to act stupid about it.

"But Ranma, I have something for you in return of course." She replied.

"Hmm?" He asked, his interest, while not raised too much, was slightly peaked. What could this woman possibly offer her that would convince her to leave for fifteen years?

"I can cure your curse." She stated.

Ranma gasped. "You... you can?" She asked surprised. She began to think. Her curse was a liability. A nuisance, an annoyance, a bringer of constant embarrassment and shame, however, was getting rid of it worth missing fifteen years of her life?

"So your saying that if I simply leave, for fifteen years, you'll remove my curse?" She asked.

"Yes that is basically the extent of my offer. Though you will have to leave to a point and time of my choosing." She stated. "Will you agree peacefully or will I have to resort to force?"

"Hey, I've been forced into enough! You can't force me to do anything!" Ranma stated.

"Then make your choice and we might see whether I could or could not 'force you to do anything'." She replied, her words mocking him, while her body was already settling into a normal stance for an angry elder woman. Hands crossed around her torso, eyes blank.

Ranma was a little surprised. Most the time she was subjected to torturous monologues about her worthlessness and how, if her torturer wanted, she could force Ranma into anything. She was pleasantly surprised at this conversation or the lack thereof.

"I..."

Ranma wracked her brain. Free of the curse. That was well and good but... fifteen years? No one would wait for her for fifteen years. And then Akane would be alone with that pig! And no one would be able to help Kasumi in the kitchen. No one to eat Akane's cooking in order to save the earth from it's torture. No one to protect the Tendo's food from her father. No one...

No... She would find her own cure. She didn't need to wait fifteen years. And if this lady thought she could say otherwise, well too bad for her.

"Sorry but I'm gonna have to decline. I need to stick around. Without me to eat it, my fiancee's cooking would poison the entire planet. Plus... she might forget me. So no, I'm afraid I can't take you up on your offer. I can live with my curse." Ranma said.

"Hmm. Then please forgive me in advance. I tried to do this peacefully. But if force is the only way..." She trailed off leaving him to decipher the rest of her meaning.

She stood fully and spun her staff.

"Dead Scream!" She cried.

A massive sonic wave erupted from the large staff Ranma finally realized had the appearance of a large key.

Ranma quickly moved all the people presently in its path out of the way and jumped through the window, shattering the glass.

"Hmph." Pluto thought. "He's better then I thought."

She, of course, had made certain that the effects of her attacks would not harm the people in the room, but she was surprised to find that Ranma had moved them anyway. Of course, he didn't know the blast wouldn't effect them.

"Fine, we'll take this outside." She said as she jumped out the window and onto the ground below.

To Ranma, the scene was surreal. Wind wasn't blowing. People weren't moving. Things that should be falling to the ground were hanging in midair as if all time was stopped. She was almost terrified, but she'd been in tighter situations.

"Dead Scream!" The woman cried again.

"Ah shit!" Ranma thought frantically. This sonic wave seemed to move exponentially faster then it's predecessor had.

It hit her full on and she was flung haphazardly into the gym wall, where she hung imbedded.

"I didn't want to do this Ranma." The green-haired woman said, monotonously.

"Then why are you!? Why all the trouble anyway? If you can freeze everyone else so easily then why don't you just freeze me?" Ranma asked, with a heavy growl.

"Hmm. You're smart, young one. My ability to stop time is not able to affect one as strong as you are. So I must commend you. However. You will not see this place for the next fifteen years at least. Get used to the idea." She stated, still in a very bored tone.

Ranma pulled herself from the wall.

"We'll see about that! I usually don't hurt girls but for you, I think I'll make an exception! You're not the only one who can throw power around! Moko Takabisha!" She cried. Her blue energy surged through her veins forming the ball between her palms. It exploded from its constraints forcefully and slammed directly into the green haired woman.

"What?" She cried just before the blast collided with her and sent her flying till she landed and skidded across the ground till she came to a screeching halt at the edge of a tree.

Instantaneously, time seemed to begin moving again. Ranma, sighed at first in joy at the good fortune, but cursed as soon as she realized how cold the cruel wind, beating at her and chilling her bones, was.

Pluto stood slowly, bits of rubble falling off her now less-than-pristine Senshi uniform. 'Damn. He shouldn't be this powerful!' She thought.

Ranma smirked, at the impressed look in the Senshi's eyes. "Hurt eh?"

"Ranma!" Came a cry. "Look out!"

Ranma looked up and saw Akane staring at him through the busted window.

"Don't worry about it Aka-chan! I got this all under control!" She said, just as another Dead Scream impacted against her, once again throwing her into the gym wall.

"Damn that hurts!" She exclaimed as she pulled herself out of the wall. Still it was nothing compared to a punch from Ryoga. She shrugged it off with barely a thought and was on her feat in seconds, to see yet another of the menacingly blasts barreling down at her. This time she was ready. This one was dodged.

When she landed she dashed to the left and dodged around random sonic blasts that appeared to be flying directly toward where she always wanted to move.

After almost two minutes of constant dodging on the part of her opponent, Pluto was beginning to tire.

"Agh! How long can this brat keep this up!" She thought as she fired more and more blasts, which destroyed nothing but more and more land.

Suddenly, her target disappeared.

"Heh. Gotcha!" She heard.

Suddenly a solid fist struck her square in the back.

She plunged nose first into the pavement, her back on fire and her nose in more pain that she would enjoy standing for.

Ranma grinned triumphantly. She'd won, and this stupid match was over. The green haired woman hadn't really even been that much of a challenge. Too slow. She hadn't even seen Ranma dash behind her! "Now look. I'm sure there is a way we can work this out. I'm not gonna leave and that's-"

Suddenly, Pluto jumped up. Seeing as this boy was more than a match for her, she decided on her only other option.

Grabbed faster then she could see, Akane found her back against a tree with the woman resembling one of those sailor scouts staring at her, eyes flaming a heated fury. Akane didn't even know how she'd got there, and instantly she looked about for Ranma.

Ranma lunged but Pluto quickly slammed her eyes onto Ranma. "Move, and she dies."

Her staff was aimed directly at Akane. Ranma was appalled at the dishonor involved with this particular fighter. Using tactics like this to get what one wanted was down right evil. And there wasn't a damn thing Ranma could do about it. He would never be able to get Akane out of the way.

"No! No leave her alone!" Ranma exclaimed, leaving her fighting stance before she could even think. Those Dead Screams, while not strong enough to hurt her, were more then powerful enough to rip Akane to scrap paper and then some, similar to Ryoga's punches.

"Come with me!" The Senshi demanded.

"Okay! I'll... I'll go with you! Just leave Akane outta this!" Ranma exclaimed, in almost utter shock at how much the stakes had changed. She simply couldn't comprehend this. No one in their right mind had _ever_ threatened the life of an innocent to get what they wanted from her! No one. This was unacceptable. But... what could she do?

'Damn! I should have been more careful! How could I have been so _stupid_, to treat this as an easy fight?' She berated herself, in her mind.

"Ranma...?" Akane questioned, having absolutely no idea what was going on.

Twenty seconds before she had been happily paying her attention to the teacher's lecture, and suddenly the window... wasn't there. Ranma had simply disappeared. Then almost instantly, the sounds of battle had drifted through the window that it appeared had been blasted out, debris falling to the ground below, and she had seen Ranma, battling.

Now she sat, in what appeared to be a life threatening matter, but she still had know idea what the hell was going on.

"Come here, Ranma." Pluto commanded.

"You... bitch!" Ranma muttered.

She smiled. "You'll thank me in time."

"I doubt it." Ranma retorted.

She grabbed his hand and a portal instantly opened behind her, though her staff still pointed at Akane.

The rest of the students watched closely as Ranma walked closer to the portal.

Without warning, Ranma lunged. She grabbed the end of the still unnamed enemy's staff, and her arm exploded in pain.

Electricity and energy surged through her overwhelming all coherent thought, leaving only torture. There had been a large explosion upon his contact with the staff but he had hardly noticed it. Akane however, had flown back and was now imbedded in the same wall Ranma had twice been forced into. "What is... what is this?" Ranma cried.

She dimly noted that the woman appeared to be in pain herself, though she was somehow able to deal with it, while Ranma couldn't even think to let go. As she writhed, the green haired woman stood and slowly dragged Ranma towards the portal. Ranma looked back, unable to move, unable to even see so terrible was the pain coursing through her arm and body. Akane had gotten up but had not been able to extract herself from the wall yet.

"A... Akane! Don't worry! I'll be back! I'll be back!" Ranma cried, though she didn't hear her own words as she felt herself dragged into the black portal.

"Ranma! What are you doing with Ranma!" Akane cried, oblivious to spectators. Oblivious to anything but this witch who was stealing her husband-to-be. She tore herself from the wall and charge forward.

Pluto gasped and began to move as fast as she possibly could, fearing the bullish aura radiating from the youngest Tendo.

"Ranma!" Akane cried. Though, Ranma had now been entirely engulfed in the portal and it slowly closed.

"Foolish girl! Every timeline that you end up loving him is an unhappy one for you anyway! I am helping you in the end. And soon, you too will understand." The woman stated calmly, though breathing heavily, recovering from the immense pain she'd felt as the portal finally closed her face disappearing behind the blackness, just as Akane arrived.

"Ranma... Damnit! Ranma!" Akane cried as she sunk to her knees.

"He's... he's gone." She thought. "Two minutes ago we were in class listening to the sensei... but now he's gone. Just like that!" She thought. She looked up to the sky.

She was ashamed at her inability to comprehend what had taken her... innazuke from her. But she did know that she should have reacted sooner. When her life was threatened she hadn't even moved! She didn't even realize the seriousness of the situation! How could this have happened? How... how could she have been so... careless?

She should have known, after Saffron, that things would only get harder. And it had been a long time since her and her fiancee had received any real trouble. And now she was paying for being off guard.

"Ranma... I swear I'll find you! Whatever that witch has done with you, I swear I'll undo it and bring you back!" She swore in her mind. She fell to the ground and held back tears. She was, once again, separated. Just as it was finally coming out into the open! Just as they were finally able to express their feelings in public! It... wasn't fair!

"... A... Akane?" Someone whispered.

Akane's head jerked up.

"Yuka..." She replied.

"... Akane-chan. That... that was... Sailor Pluto."

"Wha! That couldn't have been! That was no lover of peace or justice! That was a threatening murderer! A psychopathic moron with too much power, that was definitely not gained by training! If these are the people who defend love? I'm siding with the devil! I LOVE RANMA!" She cried.

She fell flat on her stomach and began to cry, loudly as Yuka and soon Sayuri tried to comfort her.

* * *

Ranma awoke drearily, her mind clouded in fog and the obvious effects of pain and something similar to electrical burns. Her face was hot and sweaty and her lungs felt tight. Her whole body felt like it had been run over. After what seemed an eternity of struggling with the soreness of her body, she opened her eyes, and found nothing. Darkness greeted her in every direction and for a moment she thought she was blind. Sighing in relief when she found a small, dim light in the distance, she began to hobble towards it, her legs begging her to just lie down and rest. When she came closer she realized that it was a beautiful, blue glowing pedestal.

"Where? Where am I? Where is Akane!" Ranma cried.

The green haired woman appeared far in the distance, and Ranma shivered involuntarily. Then, she charged as fast as she could.

"You... you who's soul would have been a thorn in the creation of Crystal Tokyo's side for the next millennium, are now confined in a pocket dimension." The woman told, as Ranma ran, desperate to catch the woman. Desperate to make her bring her back. "You will stay here until you are able to understand why I have done this. You would have fought the creation of our empire with every bone in your body. Until you comply with this nation you will remain here. You will watch the creation of crystal Tokyo and you will one day be a citizen of it, or you will remain here for all eternity. I tried to reason with you Ranma. But you resisted and therefore left me no choice." She said lowly with venom dripping from her voice.

Ranma was almost there! Almost there! The idiot woman was just standing there!

Three meters! Two! One...

Meeting Ranma's eyes with one, final smirk, the woman disappeared, sending Ranma careening through her to crash her sore bones slamming into the stone floor.

As Ranma lay there, one final sentence echoed through out the darkness.

"For my queen's dream of Crystal Tokyo! I am sorry Ranma." And with that, even her presence was gone.

* * *

"Yes! Perfect! I can't belive the removal of one single person had such a drastic effect on the timestreams!" Pluto sighed in bliss. She relaxed and for the first time in many years, smiled. She had waited so long. And now, her queen would finally be able to rule in her rightful stead. Only a few more years. Though it probably would not be a good idea to tell the scouts. They didn't need to know that the kindom would be built in less then a decade. Not quite yet.

She looked at the timelines again. They had fallen into an almost perfect form. Crystal tokyo was a definite in ninety nine percent of the timelines. And the exact timeline she wanted had a ninety four percent.

But she would be wary. Even a decimal of a percent could mean the difference between millennia of long life and a short and painful death.

She would always be on gaurd.

* * *

**End Chapter**

* * *

This chapter has been reformatted and now complies (somewhat) with my current level of writing. Well. As compliant as I was able to make it. It physically pained me to go through this entire chapter, editing all the idiocy's of my fourteen year old writing style out of it. God... the gay jokes... how the hell did I make people like this story in the first place? Sheeesh.

Ja!

MB


	2. Through Another's Eyes

Yeah, still didn't hit fifteen thousand words. But I came even closer! Good luck to me. 

And so at long last on with the show!

**Chapter 2: Through Another's Eyes

* * *

**

"_This just in. Breaking news story. The Sailor Senshi. Good or evil? For the past two years these scantily clad warriors of Justice and Love have defended the Juuban District of Tokyo. But, what are their real intentions? We have never been certain, but this two-minute video, filmed by Nabiki Tendo in the Nerima District, proves that their intentions might not be so pure._" The television told.

Akane watched as the video was replayed. The video began at the point where Pluto had opened the portal.

"_A... Akane! Don't worry! I'll be back! I'll be back!_" They heard the unmistakable voice of Ranma.

The camera angle was bad, considering it was taken from the second story, but it did give a decent view of the green-haired woman known as Sailor Pluto.

The both of them appeared to be in serious pain. Electrical wires of energy surged around them. Ranma lay at the feet of Pluto grasping the key staff that Pluto held. She dragged him slowly towards the portal.

"_Ranma! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY RANMA-SAMA!_" Akane heard her own cry. She lowered her head a little in embarrassment. She loved him... but she didn't like to think she was obsessed enough with him to call him her own possession. But apparently, in the heat of the moment, she had.

"_RANMA!_" She heard herself scream again. "_NO! Don't you dare leave yet you hussy!_"

Pluto began to struggle harder and just before Akane, could reach the portal, Pluto had completely dragged Ranma into it. Through her pain Pluto then yelled, as the portal was closing. "_Foolish girl! Every timeline that you end up loving him is an unhappy one for you anyway! I am helping you in the end. And soon, you too will understand!_"

And the portal closed.

"That... bitch!" Akane cried.

"Akane?" Kasumi scolded. "I know this may be very stressful for you but you know better then that!"

"I won't apologize." Akane retorted. "I said it, it's true, and that is final."

Kasumi was taken aback. She didn't think she had ever seen Akane acting so... coldly.

"_Ranma... Damn it! Ranma! RANMA!_" The television droned on. Kasumi was even more appalled. Since when had her angel... or at least MOSTLY angel, of a sister taken up the use of foul language?

But Kasumi wasn't about to challenge the authority in her younger sister's voice. It reminded her of a mix between her father's demon head technique and her mother's will to back it up. It was rather frightening.

Nabiki, who had also been watching the television, was slowly beginning to become angry. As the video kept moving on her anger rose more and more.

"It was supposed to cut off one minute ago!" She thought angrily. Her fist clenched in her hand until it became white.

"Nabiki? Don't tell me you are going to start with this foul language as well?" Kasumi asked.

"No. But I do have a threat to carry out. That da... err, darn reporter was supposed to cut off this video almost one minute ago!" She exclaimed.

They returned their sight to the television. Akane spoke for a moment or two with Yuka, who had somehow gotten out to the schoolyard.

"_Wha! That couldn't have been! That was no lover of peace or justice! That was a threatening murderer. A psychopathic moron with too much power, that was definitely not gained by training! If these are the people who defend love? I'm siding with the devil! I LOVE RANMA!_"

She slumped to the ground on her stomach, turning the dirt to mud with her tears.

"That jerk!" Nabiki cried.

She stood and walked towards the door.

While she got her shoes on, she said to Akane while not looking up. "Akane... I'm really sorry. The reporter at the television station told me they would cut off the video right after the portal disappeared. I threatened them that they would go out of business if they went against this and they laughed at me. Heh, I'm going to go show them the true power of a Tendo. I'm... really sorry, Akane-chan." Nabiki said.

She opened the door and left.

Akane's expression had remained stoic. However, she knew that she would probably break down into sobs again if she didn't control herself quickly. She bowed her head to hide the wetness on her eyes. "Oneesan, I... I'm going to go to my room now. Can you, get me when supper is ready?" She asked. She moved to stand but stopped when she found Kasumi hovering over her.

"Akane... you know Ranma will be back don't you?" Kasumi asked as she sat down on the sofa next to the overly stressed child before her.

"What?" Akane replied, lifting her face to look at her elder sister.

"Akane-chan... When has Ranma EVER failed you? I heard his scream same as you did. He said "I'll be back." and that should be enough, right? You don't need to worry so much. He'll be back. He'll always be back." Kasumi told her.

Kasumi was impressed with her own ability to comfort her sister. The angle of the camera on the scene was not very good so Kasumi was unable to see Ranma's eyes, but even she could sense when someone was afraid. Ranma had been. But his determination over road it. She had no doubt whatsoever that he would be back.

Akane embraced her sister, undoubtedly startling her, but she didn't care. Now she knew. So this was what it was like to have someone kidnapped and being left behind to try and find a way to get them back. Maybe this was how Ranma had felt when Toma or Kirin had kidnapped her.

It was pure torture. The tears flowing onto Kasumi's shoulder were proof enough of that.

And at the back of her mind, there were other things that haunted her.

"Foolish girl! Every timeline that you end up loving him is an unhappy one for you anyway! I am helping you in the end. And soon, you too will understand!"

The words, had she not been so angry that she could not hear them, would have made her blood turn cold, and her face pale. Not love Ranma? 'I've loved Ranma for the longest time now, thought about him almost every night since... well since we met.' Akane thought. 'How could loving him, not make her happy? Ever?'

She left the embrace of her sister and bent down to the VCR.

"-_Ranma Saotome. A legend in his hometown of Nerima, he supposedly has at least four women trying to marry him, and at least one man trying to do the same. His archaic abilities have become renowned all over Tokyo as stories of himself and Akane Tendo, the young woman screaming his name in the video, have spread_." The news reporter was saying.

After watching this for a moment, she became bored and put in the copy of the tape she had just watched on the television and played it.

"_Foolish girl! Every timeline that you end up loving him is an unhappy one for you anyway! I am helping you in the end. And soon, you too will understand!_" The tape said. It had apparently been stopped right before Pluto had said this. It seemed odd to her but she had no complaints. Especially since she knew it couldn't possibly be true.

"That can't be true. And even if it is... I love him now and will not rest until he is back." She thought. Only too late she realized her thoughts had been voiced.

"Akane... don't forget that you have family that loves you too. Just, as much as Ranma. We will be there for you until Ranma gets back." Kasumi said.

Akane turned around. She tried to give a heartfelt and warm smile, but it just wasn't the same without Ranma around to blanch at it.

Kasumi stood up and walked toward the kitchen, disappearing behind the door.

"..."

'I don't want to wait! He sure as hell wouldn't wait for ME to come back!' Akane thought angrily. 'But... Ranma was beaten by one of those Senshi... How could I possibly go to fight ALL of them?'

She desperately sought an answer. She unconsciously ejected the tape from the VCR and was immediately greeted with the sound of her name.

"_-by Akane Tendo, who is one of the fiancee's, and supposedly the only one receiving parental consent of their status as fiancees. She has been somewhat of a legend herself, mainly for her ability to beat Ranma senseless, daily. And so..._"

The reporter was now apparently retelling Ranma's entire story. Being the secondary character in the plot, Akane quickly became bored once again and shut off the television, only to hear the slamming of wood on wood as the sliding door was split by the force of the person who opened it.

"AKANE-CHAN! Ranma! Akane! Ranma has been kidnapped!" Soun cried. He had barged through the door, panda in toe. He could not think of anything to say to his daughter, so the obvious seemed to be a good place to start.  
"Heh... yeah... yeah I know." Akane replied.

She looked down, hair darkening her eyes. She slowly made her way to the stairs.

"Akane-chan?" Soun asked. He had expected his daughter to become angry, and more then likely blame Ranma's kidnapping on himself.

The morbid girl that barely resembled the daughter he loved was not her expected reply.

She walked up the stairs and upon hitting the top, she turned around and flung up her hair.

"Daddy... I... I guess you two were right. I... love him." She said stuttered. "Thanks for caring." She turned and disappeared into the hallway.

Soun and Genma blinked.

And blinked again.

"Oh my." Kasumi exclaimed. She had just left the kitchen to prepare the table when she saw the forms of her father and Mr. Saotome.

"They are catatonic!" She cried.

* * *

Nabiki was cautious. The company was good. And they had a few good minds on their side. But she was better. FAR better. She had quickly found a couple of flaws in her contract with the television station. Enough flaws that, in a court of law, she could easily steal the favor of any jury or judge. Not to mention she had blackmailing material on almost every judge in the country. 

Oh yes her revenge would be perfect.

Suddenly she felt something. It was a little bit awkward... but it was as if... something was in her eye. Much like a contact lens. She rubbed them but the nuisance would not come out.

When she looked up at the busy street she noticed that she was not alone. Suddenly, about half of the people walking through this main street of Tokyo had reached down and began to scratch their eyes.

Nabiki was incredibly smart. That being said she quickly deducted that something was up, because that was not normal. Two people? Possible. Three people? Not probable but still possible. Almost ten people? Impossible unless something caused it. She knew she was being watched. She didn't know how but she was absolutely certain that someone had placed this annoyance in her eyes.

"Ranma... if whatever this is, is your fault... I'm so charging you dry when you get back." She mumbled to herself almost angrily.

She continued walking to her lawyer's office.

Upon entry she heard the voice of her longtime acquaintance, recent friend, and personal expert lawyer. While he was not the GREATEST lawyer of all time, Nabiki kept him around for use simply because of the fact that she liked him. He was quick, deductive, and made a pretty penny off her as well. But it was worth it. She only ever went to court when it was to gain more money then she had to spend, and compared to some other lawyers, he was very good and on the cheaper side.

And while she was a superb businesswoman, she did not know politics as well as she had hoped she would.

"Ah Nabiki! It's been a while since my Number One client has needed my services. How are you? Never-mind skip that, how is business? And who are you going to extort from this time?" He asked. He knew her quite well and was not afraid to show it either. Another trait Nabiki liked in him.

"You know me too well Kotobaki-san." She replied. She looked at him and scanned him as usual, with her ever-calculating eye that still ached a little. He was tall, lean and slightly more fit than most people were. Though he hid it well with extravagant suits that spoke of his own decent supply of money. He had black hair, bright green eyes, and slick hands that were uncannily skilled with handling papers with the care of a mother for her child. Nabiki didn't know his actual age, as it was the only thing he preferred to keep a secret. Her guess, however, was that he was in his mid to late twenties.

"I make a point to know my clients... especially ones that make me so much money." He retorted quickly snapping her away from her appraisal. He stood and walked around the easy chair that adorned his desk.

"Hmm. Well. This time I am suing a television company. They had sworn they wouldn't show certain parts of a videotape. This part of the videotape was shown on the air. That annoys me... a lot. Especially considering the company's owners laughed at my threats." She visibly glowed with a small aura of yellow. But it quickly faded and her all-business overtone quickly reappeared. She sat down in the chair opposite his desk.

Kotobaki visibly gulped. Someone in the world was still so innocent as to laugh at the goddess of money herself? Laughing at a threat from Nabiki Tendo was the equivalent of standing in the way of a moving bullet train and expecting it to stop.

Doing so willingly, was the equivalent of being very... very... stupid.

"Poor creatures... I feel sorry for them, and even more sorry for their back pockets. I assume you already have all the information I will need to prove your point in court?" He asked.

"Of course. This briefcase contains a recording of my conversation with Mr. Tokin, the owner of Channel Seven News. It also contains a copy of the contract involving my sale of the video, an outline that states why I am filing a lawsuit, how much money I want, and of course, all other information you will need to prove my point in court." She told pushing the black briefcase onto his unnaturally clean desk.

"I'll leave the rest to you?" She asked. She stood from the chair opposite his desk.

"I'll take care of everything else, your richness. Please feel free to visit any time! I'll call you in about a week to tell you when the hearing will be." He replied quickly.

"Arigato, Kotobaki-san. I don't know who I'd use without you." She said.

"I'll take that as a compliment. I suppose I shouldn't complain. Ever since you turned eighteen you've filed four lawsuits! Most people your age don't know HOW to file a lawsuit!" He exclaimed.

"Heh. I'm the best there is Kotobaki-san." She replied in a not-so-Nabiki-like tone. She reached for the doorknob and pulled it halfway open.

He smiled. "I suppose so. After all... I haven't lost a case with you yet! And that is saying something. I'll hate to lose you when you start college."

"Heh gomen-nasai. Arigato again, Kotobaki. Ja ne!" She said happily as she left his office.

Kotobaki smiled to himself. He was the only living person on the planet who happily did business with THAT Tendo. It made him feel... special.

Special in a way that was slightly more than it should be. "Gah! Toshi! Pull yourself together!" He screamed at himself. "This is thou-shalt-only-love-money NABIKI! And plus, you'd be robbing the cradle with her anyway!"

It still didn't entirely erase the girl from his thoughts.

* * *

To say Akane was sad would be an understatement. To say she was angry was also an understatement. 

Her mixing aura's of yellow-orange anger and green depression had welded together to form an off sort of brown color. Akane, had she not been so angry and depressed, probably would have enjoyed the feeling of bathing in it's darkened light.

"I have no choice. If I want to stand a chance against the Senshi... I have to train. I have to get as good as Ranma is or I won't stand a chance." She thought.

"AKANE! DINNER!" Came Kasumi's muffled cry.

"... I'll have to get Genma or someone to train me by tomorrow morning, so I can leave right after breakfast." She said aloud. She realized that she was talking to herself, and was relieved that no one had been around. She exited her room and headed toward the stairs. Upon reaching them, she was greeted with the interesting sight of her, and Ranma's fathers still staring at the stairway, shocked beyond belief.

She couldn't help but giggle a little on the inside, however her exterior showed no joy.

She sat down at the table and was greeted with the smell of fresh cooked Italian food. It was brought out quickly. Somehow the scent had wafted to Genma and Soun's noses as well and they slowly awoke from their unconscious standing positions.

"Akane... what you said earlier? I... I wasn't dreaming was I? Saotome-san? Was I?" Soun asked excitedly.

"No my good friend. I recall it as well. They've finally admitted it! We'll have a wedding as soon as possible! Next Saturday! It will be amazing! With guests and gifts and... and... Akane-san? Why... are you crying?" Genma asked suddenly noticing the distraught girl whose tears had begun flowing the more he said.

"Ranma is GONE you idiots!" She cried. Some how she had stood and come face to face with the fathers, without them noticing.

"GAH! Saotome? How could you forget that?" Soun asked. His eyes, however, never left the tear-streaked face of his daughter.

Genma, thinking the question was a rhetorical one, did not answer. Then Kasumi brought out the final dish of the meal.

"Akane. You have to settle down! Ranma will be back! He promised! Ok Akane-chan?" She said, with a little exasperation, instantly recognizing the anger on her sister's face. Using her mother-like voice she almost instantly calmed Akane. Though tears were still flowing from her eyes.

"Hai, Oneesan." Akane replied quietly. "Gomen."

She then turned to her father and Mr. Saotome, repeating the apology. She returned to her seat.

Dinner was a quiet affair at least until the end. No food stealing, which for Genma was something like treason. But he had no son tonight so he dealt with it.

As the end of the delicious meal approached Akane suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Saotome?" Akane asked suddenly. "Why... why are you so calm? Aren't you worried about Ranma?" She asked pleadingly.

"I don't let things like worrying consume my thoughts! That would be no way to live... plus! I trained him! And with that! Ha! There is nothing that boy can't handle!" Genma replied confidently.

Noticing the extremely serious and slightly skeptical look in Akane's eyes he sighed.

"You're a lot like your mother, and Nodoka. I can never fool you Tendo's. I am worried. But, I... trust in my son. He hasn't failed yet, and I assume he will keep it that way." Genma told somberly.

"He'll be back, Saotome. He always is. We will just have to wait for his safe return." Soun preached using the same philosophy style tone as Genma. Their morbid speech settled upon the atmosphere of the room. Akane felt herself beginning to fall into the same line of thoughts but fortunately snapped out of them just in time.

"I WON'T WAIT!" Akane cried standing up.

"I won't wait on HIM to make it back to US! I want to find him! And right now all I know is this... The sailor senshi in the Juuban district took him. And I'm going to get him back!" Her voice was angry and determined.

"Akane-chan-" Soun began.

"Mr. Saotome!" Akane interrupted. "I... I need your help."

Genma stared up at the daughter of his life long friend. "Help... with what? Akane-san?"

"I need training. I want to be as good as Ranma and I will do anything you require of me to get there. Please train me!" She asked bowing her head.

"NO!" Soun shouted.

He stood, his frame towering above his daughter's.

"NO. I will not subject you to that kind of torture. I forbid you from even ASKING that Saotome train you in a form of art as dangerous as his!" Soun said. Akane boiled. "Settle down! Settle down!" Kasumi cried to the entire group in general, but she was ignored. "I agree. I cannot train you in the Saotome form of the Anything Goes art. It is too dangerous for-" Genma started.

"FINE!" Akane interrupted again. "If you won't do it." She said menacingly. "Then perhaps the TRUE grandmaster of the school will help me. I won't wait for Ranma to come back! This time I am going to be worth something and if Happi is the only one who can train me then I guess I'll have deal with getting felt up!" She cried.

She wasn't exactly sure if she was serious about her threat but she WOULD get training.

It was hardly worth taking note of. But suddenly, her eye began to hurt a little. Somewhat like a contact lens being inserted. She took no note of it. There were more important matters at hand.

"Akane-chan!" Soun cried. "You can't-!" "I can and I will if Mr. Saotome doesn't train me." She threatened, venom dripping off her words. She hated acting this way towards her father. But she had no choice.

"My baby yelled at me!" Soun cried, finally accepting his routine form and turning into the crybaby he was. "Saotome-san! You MUST train her! For the sake of her humanity!" "But! But she's a girl!" Genma yelled at his friend.

Soun flashed into his demon head mode.

"OK OK I'LL DO IT!" Saotome Genma cried, frightened.

"Good." Akane said. The insanity settled. "We leave bright and early tomorrow morning." She said.

Genma and Soun nodded.

"It's about time." Akane thought.

* * *

Ranma flew, far... very far from wherever she had left the green hair woman. Her departure, while it had been a relief now that the pain had finally stopped, had cause some sort of reaction. An enormous explosion blasted her almost two football fields away from her point of arrival. She skidded to a halt, crushing the dry, hard ground. 

She felt woozy. Upon finally standing she realized what had happened.

She had lost. Again.

'Hmph. I'll come back and win again like I always do!' She thought confidently. She looked around and got her bearings straight.

Black walls? Check.

Black Ceiling? Check.

Black Floor? Check.  
Black air? Check.

Light? No Check.

"Where... am I?" Ranma thought. "Hey! Where the hell am I!" She shouted.

Her voice reverberated as if she were at the bottom of a canyon. And no answer came

"Hey! Green hair! Come out and fight me!" She shouted again. She began to worry. Suddenly her eye caught a glimpse of something. A small light twinkled far into the distance. She assumed this was close to where she had come from. Therefore it must be close to where she could leave. Once she neared it she recognized it to be the pedestal she had seen during her entrance.

Upon arriving at the source of the light, she found that it was coming from the pedestal itself.

It was an amazing stone pillar, about three feet tall, shining with luminous, blue, sparkling light. It looked to be made of some sort of marble or possibly a pure form of granite. But what it held shone even more brightly. A book rested on this pillar, imbedded into the stone itself.

Ranma went to the book and looked at it. It held no words. On this page was what appeared to be a video. As if a projector was showing it's video against this book. The crease in the middle was ruining the affect as the entire video was spread across both pages.

It appeared to have hundreds of pages but it was opened to a specific page. And on the page he saw a building. The angle of vision was moving, left and right as if it were watching for something.

Ranma reached out and almost touched the book.

Suddenly from the black floor a crystal light to bubble around the already lit pedestal and book. It sprung up around the stone and encased both the pedestal and the book in its icy diamond-like outer layer.

"What the heck? Hey I was lookin' at that! What is with all these light shows?" She asked the air. It responded accordingly with yet another extravagant display of lights.

The book, now encased along with the pedestal in crystal, suddenly projected its image. The video he had been watching through the book now projected itself into the air, forming an oval above pedestal. It looked very much like a mirror made out of twisting cloud-like lights with blurry edges that fizzled with intricate blues and violets on the outer rim. In it was the image he had seen on the book. Though now it was not looking at a building. It was crossing a street, deeply infused with traffic. And for an image projected into mid air it was incredibly clear.

'What the heck is going on? This is so confusing!' Ranma thought. She watched more.

Suddenly the vision turned. A group of young women entered the view of the picture in the mirror.

Then they spoke.

"Naomi!" One of them cried. "Come on what are you waiting for?"

"Coming!"

This voice did not come from one of the girls. Rather, it came from the mirror itself. Talking back to those girls.

"What in the hell IS this?" Ranma exclaimed angrily. She was in a ready stance, looking around making sure she was safe with one eye and keeping the other on the mirror.

The vision entered a doorway and walked around in what appeared to be a lobby, following the other girls a little behind. One of them suddenly dropped back.

"Hey Naomi? What's eatin' you?" The raven-haired girl asked her. "Eh? Nothing, nothing! Just... something is... stuck in my eye. Feel's kinda like someone put a contact in... But my contact's are already in!" Said the mirror again.

Suddenly the vision in the mirror turned down at the floor and an enormous tan-red finger came up and wiped at the mirror.

"I'm... seeing through someone's EYES!" Ranma realized.

The girl waited a few moments before her impatience became apparent. She fidgeted constantly and soon she reached her breaking point.

"Come on Naomi! Were gonna be late!" The black haired girl said again.

The vision came up to face Kaori again. She was short, though a little taller than the person who's eyes through which Ranma saw. She was slightly less tanned then Akane, with Nabiki's hairstyle. Her bright blue eyes outlined her dark blue school fuku.

"Oh put a sock in it Kaori!" Came the mirror voices reply.

Suddenly Kaori began to run on ahead. "Hurry up!" She cried, and then dashed around a corner. As soon as that happened, the mirror became a jumbled view of hustling as the mirror video began to run after the black haired girl, who's name Ranma assumed was Kaori. They ran through the plain rooms of the building quickly, with a knowledgeable sense of direction considering the many rooms they passed.

Suddenly they turned and entered a doorway slightly different doorway.

Upon finally getting around the tiled walls Ranma realized that this was none other then a bathroom.

And the eyes, through which the mirror viewed, looked into a mirror.

Ranma looked on the form. Naomi, Kaori had called her. Short, wild, dirty blonde hair. It had almost no shine to it like the girls Ranma usually was acquainted with. It was very short and didn't cover her ears, nor her beautifully expensive looking dark-green earrings in the slightest. She wore a fuku similar to Kaori's though it was slightly shorter. She was slim and fit. Apparently she worked out every now and then... possibly just jogging.

She also sported dark green eyes that matched the earrings she wore.

"Why am I seeing this? I want to go home!" Ranma yelled. She was becoming anxious. Normally there was a person here. A reason for why she was being trapped like this. But she saw no one... Nor did she see anything. Save for the mirror and it's light.

She began to explore. The mirror through which she saw through the eyes another person was already beginning to bore her.

* * *

"..." 'This is so horrible.' Pluto thought. She watched Ranma, or rather the past of Ranma, who had only been residing in the pocket universe for exactly one year. Ranma was silently crying at a point that was as far from the mirror as she could go without feeling the curse of the hunger she felt when she strayed too far from it. 

Looking through the past of what had happened she found that Ranma had done everything that she could try to do to break free of her prison. She had bashed with her fists, her ki, her feet, her head and any other body part she could come up with. Pluto's outer covering of the book and the pedestal though it had not received a dent.

She sped up the time and looked at what was happening in the present time of her pocket universe.

It had been about eight hours since she had locked Ranma within the pocket universe, in real time, but for Ranma it had been FAR longer. Twenty years to be exact.

Instead of Ranma accepting that Serenity was and should be the ruler of Crystal Tokyo, she cursed to hell what happened. She hated crystal Tokyo and everything it stood for. She hated it and would never concede to it. At least, as far as she knew.

She trained and trained and trained. She constantly thought of her past, her family, and especially that girl Akane, every time she managed to pry her consciousness away from the life of Naomi.

Pluto knew this because Ranma constantly spoke to herself about them all, forcing her self to remain sane.

After having let Ranma live through Naomi for twenty years, the latter ten years being the happy future that Naomi would receive in Crystal Tokyo, she decided that a repeat was in order. Perhaps another try at showing a person who ended up happy in the age of Crystal Tokyo would sway Ranma's opinion of Serenity as a ruler?

She forced the mirror show a projection through the eyes of a young man named Kwaru. Upon shifting the scene she found that she would have to restart the vision from the same time which Ranma had entered the portal, just as Naomi had been.

She set it to automatically change the eyes through which the mirror was looking through after every twenty years, which was ten year into the reign queen Serenity. Ranma would be returned to his timeline instantly upon his acceptance of the queen. Until then she would leave him. Every three twenty year lifetimes Ranma watched, one day went by in the real world; therefore it also had the advantage of not being fifteen years Ranma was forced to leave.

It was the only way, bar killing the boy-turned-girl. And Pluto would not sacrifice all her hard work for one over-determined redhead.

She would not sacrifice her work for anyone.

She turned her attention away from Ranma and focused on the girl that he loved.

"Damn. How did that happen?" She though as she viewed the television. Someone apparently had a very handy video camera.

'Rrrr. This will cause problems among the inners... eh. She's training? Hmm... well. The scouts should be able to take care of her easily... no matter how good she gets but how to avoid killing her?' She thought.

She had not killed Ranma, therefore, she could not be unfair and do Akane in, while letting Ranma live.

"What to do..." She muttered to herself.

Suddenly an idea sprang up in her head.

"Perfect!" She exclaimed.

* * *

Ranma was angry. And she wanted to try something new. She was strong now. Incredibly so compared to what she was when she was... free. So she began to imbed a message, just in case anyone else was ever place here. She forced her ki into thin lines and imbedded the ki into the air itself, so the words she wrote, would be there till she forced them down, or for the rest of eternity. 

She wrote.

_The air is cold... the air is -always- cold now. I can see how the jackets are getting thicker. The great freeze is coming again... once again I must watch a different person's viewpoint of the Great Freeze._

_Ever since that evil woman began... began to freeze the planet. I don't know how she did it... but I know she did. The last time I saw her she said it was for her dream of Crystal Tokyo..._

_Now I am forced to watch, helpless, as the world freezes. I am incased, to be imprisoned, for who knows how long. The evil woman has not visited me for almost three thousand years I think. I wouldn't know... I can't even mark days. I don't think that there are days where I am. That is the only knowledge I have any longer. The mirror. She left it near me... probably as torture... so I could watch and see. See the destruction of the world I once called home through the eyes of all of them... every person... one... after another..._

_Watch the melding of my world, into their own._

_Tokyo's buildings had been encased in ice... The great American cities like New York and San Francisco were burned and destroyed. No lives were taken... but it was horrible. The woman... the green haired tramp who imprisoned me. She is no lover of peace and justice as her princess says. She is a menace... a... monarch. All of them are. No, that isn't true. Pluto is the only truly evil one. As the others do not even know of my existence._

_It is dark... Nothing but dark. I also assume that I could walk forever in this void... this, gap between space and time. But... Should I stray to far from the mirror, I feel the hunger... thirst... as if the three thousand years without drink and food are catching up to me... and the further I walk... the more the mirror beckons to me. And the more hungry and thirsty I become..._

_Many times I tried to destroy the mirror... but... it did not even suffer a scratch. All my efforts were for naught..._

_So I watch each life... each one with a happy ending... each one living in the age of Crystal Tokyo... Living happily, under the rule of Queen Usagi._

_Their life... the mirrors visions of them, always changes to another person at about ten years into the reign of Usagi as Queen of the Galaxy._

_It makes my blood boil. Happily living under monarchy? No. This is not right._

_I have nothing to do. So, I am forced to wait. I train and I train. I have no idea how strong I have become. My ki tears light into the void that is my prison. Blasts go on for hundred's of miles before my keen eyesight finally loses any sight of them._

_I even whiten the entire void with my aura and still... it is nothing but a small light within thousands upon millions of miles of darkness._

_I know that I am slipping into insanity. Forced to watch the life of every single person, from the point after I was imprisoned. I could somehow watch a person's entire life in a fast forward of sorts... hoping... ever hoping that someday, I will see the life of the woman I sacrificed my masculinity and freedom for._

_Someday... somehow... I'll see her again. My... My tomboy... My Akane. I know that I can reach her... I know it..._

_And I will keep trying. If it takes until the end of time..._

_So be it._

Satisfied with her work, she stood and continued training, in her endless mission to find a way to free herself.

* * *

A naked red-haired girl trained within the darkness of her home. She punched and kicked wildly, every now and then creating and throwing blasts of light into the distance, shearing the darkness like a knife through butter. 

Her hair hung loosely falling low to her waist. She had cut it to this height whenever it had become to low for about three fourths of the time she had been here, or so she assumed. The incredibly powerful string (though string did not seem to be a fitting word for it) that had held her pigtail together for so long had burst long ago. She hadn't had clothing ever since her two or three thousandth try at destroying the mirror and really didn't remember having worn any in this place ever.

She fortunately had remembered wearing her hair in a pigtail though she found it much more comfortable without the pigtail.

None of this really mattered to her, though.

She knew she had red hair, though her eye color she had forgotten. She thought they were blue.

'Naomi, Kwaru, Sutaki, Kenosuke, Ryu, Rensuke, Sinsuke, Toshi, Akari, Kensuke, Rekari, Lan, David, Satsuke, Daisuke.' The redheaded girl listed in her mind as her fists flew against the air at speeds insect's wings would envy. "Shiatori, Miaka, Kurimi, Kotano, Tsubaki, Kunochi..."

She had named the first few lives she had seen. All of which had resided in Japan. She had now seen through the lives of eight hundred or so people, and she was naming them so she could remember them, if only a little. Though many things from the twenty years she had seen through the eyes of each of them had become forgotten to her.

But today was a new day. And every new day was another day that would bring her one step closer to freedom. This day, in particular, was a very special one. Based on the last Calendar she had seen, today was yet another twenty-year Imprisonment-Day anniversary! She would be greeted with new people when her mirror awoke. New things and ideas, places to go, and people to meet.

She awaited it anxiously, and trained vigorously. She remembered why she trained. She trained so she could escape her prison and destroy she Senshi of the Pluto because she had been the one who imprisoned her. But the thought, over the years, had begun to fade to the back of her mind. Pluto was an abomination but it had been almost a century since the mirror had shown her a vision of Sailor Pluto. Fortunately she remembered the person who imprisoned her.

Why she had wanted to so many years before, and still wanted to return so adamantly she could not remember. She vaguely recalled that a person whom she knew had to be the cause. It was a blue haired girl. She couldn't remember the girl's name but she was CERTAIN it started with an A. Perhaps it was the "Akane" written in the message of ki that she had made almost thirteen thousand years ago? But she could not connect the name with the face any longer. Then again... considering the words she had written it must have been Akane. I will return to her if it takes until the end of time? It must be her.

Every time the redheaded girl slept, her dreams were plagued by vague memories of this girl. Many of them had involved torturously horrible food and mallets. Though a precious few were memories of the girl, with her in a bed late at night. But no. That couldn't be true. She was a man in that image! Therefore it must have been a vision through her mirror.

'Yes... that must be it. Not a memory from my REAL life.' She thought.

She stopped her vigorous training and closed her eyes, letting the memories from her past flow through her mind.

A bald fat man that reminded her of a panda bear.

A purple haired "bimbo" she recalled, who constantly hung off of her as if she were a suitor of some sort.

A black-haired man who wore his hair in a pigtail like she had. This one was very odd to her as she only ever remembered seeing this man in mirrors as if she were him. It was truly weird. She was definitely female, yet she recalled looking in the mirror to view only a male.

"I'm a girl." She said aloud. The words tasted like vinegar to her. She didn't understand why she seemed to dislike being called what she KNEW she was.

'Hmm.' She thought. 'Perhaps...'

"I'm a man?" She said questioningly. The words fit. She was not a girl. She was a man. How? She didn't know, nor did she care. But she was not a girl. She had to be male. Otherwise there would not be a gut wrenching sense of pride and feeling from saying those three words.

She closed her eyes and once again bathed in her memories.

There was one person she definitely remembered from her life. Nabiki Tendo. The girl with short brown hair had appeared in nearly every life she had witnessed, though mostly on billboards and television adds as the richest person in the world, and then later as a failure due to the takeover of the Senshi. Then still later as the largest, most profitable, success of the age of Crystal Tokyo. She remembered this girl and that, whenever she had the chance, Nabiki would take money from her.

But that was in the past, and considering she couldn't even remember the NAMES of most the people from her life, she didn't think she would be very well accepted when she returned. Her only true reason for returning was revenge on Pluto, and also so she could simply live again.

Plus she had more important matters to deal with.

Twenty minutes previous, the life of Tusuko had faded. She would miss him and his girlfriend Gemini very much, just as she missed all of the people she got to live through. But she was eager for a change of person. She hoped it wasn't a girl or guy who "slept around" like the girl from three lives previous. They always scared her.

The cloudy mirror appeared. Ranma giddily and anxiously waited for the person to get their finger out of their eyes and find a mirror. She wanted to see who she was living through this time.

The person looked up, slowly opening her eyes to look around at other. The red-haired girl recognized many of them. She knew for certain that she had lived through the lives of at least seven people her new person in the mirror was looking at and eyeing skeptically. She looked around a few times and then mumbled.

"Ranma... if whatever this is, is your fault... I'm so charging you dry when you get back." She mumbled to herself almost angrily.

The red-haired girl was happy. A girl. Girl's lives were always a little bit more fun then boys in general, as they were a little less single-minded then most boys were. Plus, it would be fun trying to figure out who this "Ranma" was!

The view continued on up the sidewalk and soon came to enter a building.

"Ah Nabiki Tendo! It's been a while since my Number One client has needed my services. How are you? Never-mind skip that, how is business? And who are you going to extort from this time?" The man sitting behind the large desk at the back of the room asked.

"Nabiki Tendo? I... wow. I finally get to live through the life of the richest girl on the planet." The red-haired girl thought.

"You know me too well Kotobaki-san." She replied. .

"I make a point to know my clients... especially ones that make me so much money." He retorted quickly snapping her away from her appraisal. He stood and walked around the easy chair that adorned his desk.

"Hmm. Well. This time I am suing a television company. They had sworn they wouldn't show certain parts of a video tape. This part of the video tape was shown on the air. That annoys me... a lot. Especially considering the company's owners laughed at my threats." Nabiki said told him. A yellow haze appeared to cover the mirror slightly but quickly dissipated.

The man called Kotobaki gulped.

"Poor creatures... I feel sorry for them. And even more sorry for their back pockets. I assume you already have all the information I will need to prove your point in court?" He asked.

"Of course. This briefcase contains a recording of my conversation with Mr. Tokin, owner of Channel Seven News, a copy of the contract involving my sale of the video, and an outline that states why I am filing a lawsuit, how much money I want, and of course, all other information you will need to prove my point in court." She told pushing the black briefcase onto his desk.

"I'll leave the rest to you?" She asked. She stood and looked down at the man.

"I'll take care of everything else, your richness. Please feel free to visit any time! I'll call you in about a week to tell you when the hearing will be." He replied quickly.

"Thanks, Kotobaki-san. I dunno who I'd use without you." She said.

"I'll take that as a compliment. I suppose I shouldn't complain. Ever since you turned eighteen you've filed four lawsuits! Most people your age don't know HOW to file a lawsuit!" He exclaimed.

"Heh. I'm the best there is Kotobaki-san." She replied in a not-so-Nabiki-like tone. She reached for the door knob and pulled it half way open.

He smiled. "I suppose so. After all... I haven't lost a case with you yet! And that is saying something. I'll hate to lose you when you start college."

"Heh gomen-nasai. Arigato again, Kotobaki. Ja ne!" She turned around and walked towards the door. Exiting quickly, she followed the same path back down the road.

The red-haired girl was excited. Perhaps she would find out what had happened during her life? She knew she had been involved with Nabiki somehow. And now she might find out! But what was Nabiki doing? Suing someone of course. A television company.

Nabiki turned and walked quickly down a back alley. Upon exiting the alley she viewed a home. She walked towards it, also quickly. She entered the gate and walked into the house.

"Akane!" Nabiki cried. She glanced around the main room and found the one she yelled for, sitting on a couch watching a television set.

The red haired girl froze. She looked upon the blue haired girl and was struck with a whirlwind of memories. Memories, of fighting... for her, with her, and against her. But, she had always known this girl. Ever since she had been first taken to this dark void place. She knew this girl. This was Akane. The blue-haired girl of her dreams. The girl she had sworn to return to.

She found tears in her eyes though, once again, she could not really fathom why. There were many things she could no longer understand or remember. Why was she so determined to return to this girl?

Nabiki moved behind the sofa and looked at the television.

And the red-haired girl saw herself.

"_A... Akane! Don't worry! I'll be back! I'll be back!_" Came her own voice. "Hey that's-" She said aloud but was quickly interrupted by the television again.

"_Ranma! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY RANMA-SAMA!_" The television cried. She saw the same blue-haired girl she had already identified as Akane was the one who was yelling the name. And in the television, Akane was running towards Ranma. And Pluto.

"Ranma... Ranma! That's. That person is me! That's my name!" The red-haired girl cried. "My god! MY NAME! I... I..."

More tears swelled in her eyes. She watched gleefully. Quickly she was snapped back into the world of Nabiki Tendo. She still watched the televison, to Ranma's personal joy.

"This... was how I got here! That was me! When I first came here! ... When I... Promised I would come back..." Ranma thought. This line of thought, however was quickly discarded in view of a much happier fact that she had finally discovered her name.

'So my eyes ARE blue!' She thought giddily.

The video replayed itself on the television screen. Nabiki watched Akane and noticed the tear that dribbled down her left cheek. But she didn't deal with emotions. She was Nabiki Tendo. She dealt in money. This touchy feely stuff from her sister was not her forte. So she left it to her eldest sister. Kasumi would take care of it. She always did.

"Hey Akane, I got that television company back for playing the full tape. I didn't expect them to go back on their word and we made... well. I got them back and they'll probably go out of business pretty soon ok?" Nabiki asked casually.

Akane nodded, not taking her eyes from the television.

"I... I'm sorry Akane-chan." Nabiki said in as heartfelt a tone as she could manage.

She turned and almost made it to the staircase when Akane turned to her.

"I'm leaving in the morning Oneesan. I'm going training." Akane said. "I won't be back for a while. But when I come back, Ranma will be with me. And I'm hoping my last name won't be Tendo anymore." She told. Her eyes were blank and unreadable even to Nabiki.

"Akane-chan?" Nabiki turned swiftly bringing Akane back into the view of Ranma.

"Oneechan... why didn't I marry him when I had the chance!" Akane asked angrily. She looked up and stared into the eyes of Nabiki.

Suddenly her tears stopped flowing. Akane scrutinized Nabiki for a few moments, her expression changing from hysterical, to suspicious, to confused in a matter of minutes.. She stood and walked toward her.

"What? What is it, Akane-chan?" Nabiki asked.

"Ranma..." Akane breathed as she came face to face with Nabiki. She stared, directly at her eyes, and for a fleeting moment Akane would have sworn she had seen a tiny spec of red hair.

"Huh?" Nabiki asked.

But it was gone instantly.

"Uh... nothing... nothing. Just... my mind playing tricks on me." Akane said quickly. "I... I'm going out. I gotta, uh... think." She said. She rushed to the door and slipped on her shoes.

"I'll be back soon!" She yelled. And with that, she was gone.

"... That was weird." Nabiki said aloud.

"She saw me. She actually SAW me!" Ranma realized with joy. Suddenly, and all to late, she found that Nabiki was returning to her room.

"No no, go back! Follow her!" Ranma screamed! "NO! DAMN YOU NABIKI!"

More memories floated back. Memories of shouting this exact cry every time she was sure she had been alone.

"She is... she is my Akane. I loved her. And after all this time... I still do? How? Emotions are not that strong..." She said to herself. She sunk to her knees below the mirror.

But she knew that now that she had seen her, she HAD to return. She had promised she would... and a promise was a promise.

"Akane... I'll get back to you." She swore.

Her training increased.

* * *

"Setsuna! WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Rei cried. She was, perhaps, a tad bit too angry. But she had a bone to pick with the senshi of time. Setsuna had just appeared at one of their usual meetings at Rei's shrine. And Rei was obviously pissed. 

News involving the Senshi was not supposed to be BAD news. So why had Pluto gone and done something like committing a kidnapping? Rei couldn't fathom it.

"Rei, calm down." Pluto soothed. "That commercial is not real."

"EVEN IF IT ISN'T THE PEOPLE THINK IT IS!" Rei shouted back.

"Really Rei, it isn't that big of a deal." Ami provided. "Anyone could have felt the urge to make a video and sell it to a television studio. After all, this would make a lot of money."

"Ami's right Rei! So you should settle down and stop screaming my ears off!" Usagi shouted.

"Speak for yourself." Rei muttered back.

Rei sat herself back on the couch and hmphed. And then was silent.

"So if that is fake then... how could that portal be made, it looks exactly like the ones you make Pluto!" Makoto asked.

"Thats what I came to tell you. I think we may have a spy."

"I came to tell you that there is another threat. Though it is very small, there might be complications. This threat is entirely human." Pluto informed them. Random gasps echoed around the room. Though no one spoke so Pluto was allowed to continue.

"I have to give you a warning. A girl by the name of Nabiki Tendo, or possibly her sister, will be appearing here within the next few weeks or months. The girl Nabiki will be a threat due to the fact that, given that amount of time she will more then likely find out your identities. Akane will more then likely go on a rampage. Both are completely human so I want you to exert caution and exercise restraint. They are not strong and your attacks can and will kill them. But above all, you MUST NOT BELIEVE A WORD THAT THEY TELL YOU TO BE TRUE." She stated. "They are both under a delirious impression that their dead fiancee was killed by us. So, there is a small chance that your "Moon Healing Activation" will cure them both, ok Usagi?"

Pluto finished her monologue, slightly winded from all the talking. But nevertheless, the scouts seemed to believe her story. It was plausible and Ranma HAD been in the video.

Suddenly Pluto felt herself underneath a cold, skeptical eye. She looked around and, to her surprise, found it to be Usagi's. "Are you lying, Pluto?" The voice that was definitely not the Usagi she knew asked.

"N... no." Pluto stated. To herself she seemed to stutter but to them it appeared to have been quite clear.

"Allright!" She exclaimed in her usual bubbly voice.

Inwardly Setsuna breathed a sigh of relief. Also inwardly, Pluto was impressed. Serena WAS her mother's daughter after all. She would make a good queen yet.

But not without Pluto's help.

"So is that all? You don't show up at our meetings often. Are you sure this was all you had to say?" Rei asked, still slightly irked.

"That all you need to know." Pluto said. "I'll see you again." And she was gone, back to the time gate, through her portal.

* * *

"_Ranma! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY RANMA-SAMA!_" The television roared. 

Suddenly the man sitting at the bar busted his shot-glass.

"Akane!" He cried.

He quickly turned his head to view the television mounted to the upper left corner of the room.

He saw the former love of his life rushing frantically toward his former rival. Though they still did not get along, Ryoga and Ranma had had their moments.

"Heh. The insanity still follows you Ranma. And now what? You've gone and gotten yourself kidnapped? How weak! I give up on Akane and you go and do something like THIS?" Ryoga screamed.

Suddenly he noticed the looks he was receiving from the other occupants of the bar.

"Eh Heh... sorry!" He said.

"Hey! You'd better pay for that!" The bartender exclaimed, noticing Ryoga's broken glass.

"Eh... yeah! Uh... I... will this do?" He asked, pulling out about a thousand yen.

"Hmph. Crazy kids." The bartender muttered as he took the money and walked to the back room to find a broom.

"Hmph. Well maybe I should pay a visit to Nerima." Ryoga thought. "After all... I've got no where else to go."

"Hey barkeep! Which way is Tokyo!" He asked.

A pause came before the answer.

"YOU'RE IN TOKYO! YOU DRUNKEN IDIOT! GET OUT OF MY BAR!" came the bartender's reply from the back room.

"Eh... thanks!" He replied.

In truth, Ryoga was not drunk. He originally entered the bar to ask for directions to the nearest guillotine, considering his most recent encounter with Akari. But he'd found that he couldn't actually kill himself, however, he had nothing else left to live for, as always, so he got himself some cold water to drink. But now, at least, he had a destination again. After Akari had so rudely ended her relationship with him, it was about time.

"Heh. Ranma. Perhaps we will meet again. Plus... I have a surprise to show you!" He muttered to himself, ignoring the odd looks he received.

* * *

"Xian Pu! Xian Pu? Where is that girl?" Cologne asked the air. It did not reply. 

"Old crone!" Mousse called receiving the cliche thwack across the head from the use of disrespect. "What do YOU want Mr. Part-time!" She asked angrily. "No. Don't answer that. Have you seen my great-granddaughter?"

She turned back to the pot of bubbling water and began stirring again.

"No, I was about to ask you where she was!" He yelled. "Hmph. If you didn't know, that fool Saotome has gone and gotten himself kidnapped."

"Kidnapped!" Cologne cried. "How!"

She was surprised. Her son-in-law had been kidnapped?

"Hmm, if you watched a little more television you would know. But, obviously I'm just a part time worker, no help to you at all, so I'll just be on my-"

"Tell me how now fool!" Cologne ordered.

Mousse was backed against the wall by aura of the old Matriarch.

"Ok ok fine!" he cried. "Some green haired girl came and pulled him through a portal. It's all over the television."

Cologne hopped over toward the exit of the room.

"I knew something was wrong... I KNEW it." She mumbled. Then disappeared through the doorway.

'Hmm. Perhaps you will stay gone Saotome?' Mousse thought.

"_A... Akane! Don't worry! I'll be back! I'll be back!_" He recalled the television saying.

'Eh... or not. I wonder what will happen?' He thought. He scratched his nose and walked out of the kitchen.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Akane walked slowly through the cold weather. She had been almost absolutely certain she had seen the girl form of her fiancee WITHIN Nabiki's eyes. It was... scary.

She continued walking, and thinking about what was to come the next day.

The further she walked from her home, the colder she began to feel.

Looking up from the sidewalk, she noticed a large clock reading eight-thirty.

"Oh! I've been gone that long?" She cried. "I'd better get back or I won't be able to wake up early tomorrow. She turned and began walking back towards her home.

As she ran by a glass window something in it caught her eye. She came to a halt and ran back to the window, as she had passed. She looked in and saw her reflection.

And within her own eye... she could have sworn again she had seen her fiancee.

But as quickly as it appeared in her eye, it disappeared.

"I... am really having a bad day." She said to herself. She continued walking, though this time, at a slower pace.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pluto was as silent as the night itself. She froze time and crept into the room of Nabiki Tendo. Sitting above the girl, she waved her key wand around Nabiki's head. A few small sparkles fell to her cheeks, lit momentarily and then faded.

Perfect. She slowly exited the room, and then entered the room of Akane Tendo, doing the same thing.

"All going according to plan." She whispered to herself. She stood and walked toward the door. It creaked a little when she opened it but it wasn't very loud.

Suddenly Akane rolled over. "Ranma..." She muttered.

"Heh... All going according to plan." Pluto whispered again. And with that, she left the home.

* * *

Caution: Long and possibly boring author's notes ahead! Read at your own discretion!

Hmm. The further I got to the end, the more I realized that I would NOT be able to get Ranma out of the void in this chapter like I had hoped... it was just too difficult. Sorry.

Once again I profess little knowledge of Sailor Moon and don't truly know if they are "in character"!

Well. This fic was ... WIDELY accepted. Thank you for the criticism and I really appreciate all the reviews. Thanks a lot! I have decided that there are a lot of fics that I will not be continuing because of something I realized while reading this fic. (Caution: Philosophy ahead.)

To write a fic you have to enjoy what you are writing, including rereading your own writings. On the reread of this fic's first chapter, once I posted it, I almost left a review saying

WRITE MORE!

But then realized that would be rather stupid.

Therefore, I've decided that every fic I have that does not receive this kind of reaction upon my reread will not be continued. Except for the Blessing. I have to finish that. It's an obligation, even though I don't like my originally planned ending. It's so hard to write when your own opinion of your stories changes with your personality and age. Recently went through and reread The Last Cetra. Yeah... crap. Full list of what I will and will not be continuing will be posted in my bio for those who care. If anyone wants one of my discontinued fics talk to me.

Lesse' now. I have to reply to half these reviews. Don't get used to these replies though. Maybe once every four chaps or so.  
First and foremost.

To Varth: Well, you are obviously no fan of instant Romance. And also please note that I am young and stupid.

I know you said you probably can't read one of my fics again at all and probably won't read this, however, should you read it... Why are you getting so worked up about one fic? I have many others, one or two involve Ranma wanting to kill Akane! Very sorry for the inconvenience at the cliche involved in my fic but, I suppose now would be a good time to talk about who inspired it.

Aftermath: A Story of Blended Cliche's

Was the main one. Coincidence? I think not.

Anyways. I didn't do anything to your sanity. If you really hated it that much then what was the point of reading it? For your sanity's sake, find a better one. I don't even pretend to be GOOD at this stuff let alone great. There are better ones out there, trust me, I know.

One last point.

Akane will not see Ranma in this fic for a long while. So... gimme a chance? Or not? Your choice.

To ANon: Thanks for pointing that out. But I do have a reason for the obsession that appears in the prologue. It'll probably be explained, or at least lightly touch on, in this chapter.

Ok... to: Ryan.

One of the best reviews I've ever gotten. Thanks for the compliments and I'll try my best. Also thanks for noticing the reasoning behind why I started it with Ranma/Akane. Three millennia is a LONG time. I wouldn't want to stick around in pitch black for three millennia and, while I don't personally know Ranma, I doubt he would either. Therefore, he needs a reason to hang on to hope, stead of just killing himself and getting it over with. Though I sort of, would've rather let you find that out in the story... (RYAN'S REVIEW IS A SPOILER! AND SO IS THIS REPLY TO IT!) As for Wheel of Time. Yeah... That's gonna be tough. Specially since I haven't read the first book in a while, I'm gonna have to recap. But don't worry, it will never tract too far from the main storyline.

I wanted to keep this fic, all in all, simple.

Bad Guys vs. Good guys. No Grey's or Browns. Only straight black and white. Now for those of you who don't know wheel of time you will not have too. Everything will be explained on the way. Sorry for all you avid fans who know WOT backwards by heart... I have to satisfy the people who don't know about it, too. Plus, at the max it will only span for one book of WOT and even then will constantly reference back to the normal universe.

To Arazoul: I never condone good wholehearted criticism. And believe it or not, I went through the fic and LOWERED the number of times I used the word cried. Though I'd thought I had done better then that... Hmm. Thank you for the advice. It will definitely be heeded.

Glazed Look In Eyes One hundred One: I'm Glad. I'm also very happy you, among quite a few others, think that my depiction of Pluto was "In Character" Thanks for the review.

Wonderbee31: Your thinking along my lines. Your review might be somewhat of a spoiler as well. Though not quite.

To Ebona Nite: Well thanks for you review. But as to why Ranma is cold in her girl form.. ah. It's a personal experience thing. I, in my entire life, have never met a girl who doesn't get cold. I've seen guys barrel through three feet of snow wearing nothing but underwear and shorts, while watching girls wear more than one pair of shoes to walk to their cars in an inch of snow.

There is no real secret to why Ranma is cold. Just my sexist views on girls. Heh... Sorry I confused you.

And finally to RaZiel1: I don't actually think that Tyranny is the word I was looking for. Just because Usagi is Ruling the world, doesn't mean she's doing a BAD job. It's just wrong to Ranma's personal views. He knows that people are better off being ruled by Usagi, but simply thinks that it is wrong because of their lack of choice in who rules them, be it a good leader or not.

Thanks everyone else for your reviews! I'm incredibly impressed with the returns of this fic. Though I'm kind of disappointed that no one has yet mentioned adding this to a C2 community. I'm pretty sure there are like, four involving Ranma/Senshi.

Now that I am finally done with my thousand word author's notes I supposed I'd better continue the fic eh?


	3. Unlocking False Truths

Sorry about the long wait for the update. A lot of really good fics were recently continued and I had no choice but to read them. Obsidian-fox's Eldritch Asylum. Relentless's two epilogues. Yeah. A good set of fics all in all. So I better get this boring part over with. Just two things first. 

Ok this may seem stupid to you but it's really important to me.

Minako Aino Sailor Venus

Makoto Kino Sailor Jupiter

Yay! Now I won't forget!

And second.

On with the show!

**Chapter 3: Unlocking False Truths

* * *

**

"Ah…. Another day… another dead demon." Mars sighed happily as the youma faded into nothing.

She pulled her arms behind her head and walked towards the rest of the Senshi who were present. It was a small number compared to usual but then again, it was a small youma compared to usual. It was a leftover, a fugitive from the good ole' days of Beryl making it a very quick fight.

The only Senshi who were present were Mars, Venus, and Mercury. The others were preoccupied at the moment.

"So… Looks like you had fun, eh Rei Hino?" Someone asked suddenly.

Rei froze. Her life flashed before her eyes as she slowly turned to witness the assailant who knew her name.

"Oh god." She trembled. As she finally swung a full hundred and eighty degrees, she came face to face with a young, brown haired woman. Young, meaning slightly older then herself. The girl hopped off the stone bench upon which she sat and strode over to her.

"Caught your attention that fast, eh? You Senshi are PATHETIC at hiding your identities. I had all of the "inners" names and phone numbers in just two weeks of snooping! Though unfortunately, I'm having a little bit of a problem discovering the identity of Ranma's kidnapper." She stated.

"Wha… What do you… Who are you?" She asked.

"Hey Mars! Hurry up!" Mercury shouted.

Suddenly Rei turned around to look at Mercury. The look of pure terror in her eyes told Mercury that they would not be going anywhere. Not yet.

"Hmm. I suppose I have caught your interest?" Nabiki asked. "Fine. My name is Nabiki Tendo. You might have heard of me? I've been told my reputation is usually a few steps ahead of me?"

Rei was too far in shock about hearing her name while transformed to notice too much of what the girl was saying but she had caught, and recalled Pluto talking about, her name.

"Oh don't worry so much! And stop hanging your mouth open! It's pretty easy to keep me silent. All you have to do is get my sister her Ranma back.

"I… I… " Rei said but it came out as almost nothing but stuttering. Suddenly her allies appeared next to her. Her confidence was boosted, at least enough to give her the ability to talk sensibly.

"Wha.. What do you want?" She asked. To herself it sounded like an unconfident school girl voice. To Nabiki it sounded like cornered and defenseless prey.

"Didn't I just say that all I want is Ranma back?" She asked impatiently. She was about to go on to explain the fundamentals of her bargain when suddenly a portal appeared not four feet from her. Nabiki's expression remained tranquil as Ranma's abductor appeared.

"I'll be the one making bargains here." Said Pluto as she exited her portal leaving it to close behind her.

"Finally, I'm getting somewhere. Well, since I haven't pulled a name up for you yet you mind telling me first off? I always did hate formal titles." Nabiki said. Her words were fueled with all the slyness she possessed, and with good reason as well.

She did not want to underestimate this Pluto and lulling her into a false sense of friendliness could be her undoing. She didn't even have to look at Pluto to know that she was just as "on par" in the ways of dealing as Nabiki herself.

"Heh. Well, I'm sorry about that, but I have very strict formalities where I am from. Pluto will be fine Miss Tendo." Pluto said with the same sort of tone.

"Hmm. Well let's get this party started. You have someone I want back. I don't know why you kidnapped Ranma and as long as he is returned, I don't care. However, if you do NOT return my sister's fiancée, I will be forced to take more… drastic measures.

"Oh? Well… please inform me of your more drastic measures. It doesn't matter anyway any more. As a matter of fact there should be no reason why the Senshi can not come out in the open. There are no enemies left to take advantage of them should they be in their… weakened state. So… what again were those drastic measures?" Pluto asked.

"Hmm. Is that so? Mars's reaction here seemed to say otherwise." Nabiki said coolly. She brushed her hair back out of her eye and stared at Pluto.

"She is childish and young. It doesn't matter. We can't give you your girl back," Pluto stated. "because we didn't take her."

"Don't give me that bullshit." Nabiki said, her tone having become cold. "I watched and video taped the entire thing."

Pluto looked down and shook her head side to side with her eyes closed, making to look like she was saddened by Nabiki's words.

"My poor girl…" Pluto murmured. "Your insane yet ingenious plan appears to have worked perfectly. I'm sorry about this."

"What are you talking about?" Nabiki asked. She regretted the words as soon as she said them. They would give way to a story that she did not want to hear. She did not like this woman.

"You are under the impression that we, I in particular, kidnapped your… what was her name? Ranma?" She asked still using the sad tone. She raised her head and looked into Nabiki's eyes.

"Of course… I watched it happen." Nabiki replied.

"I did not take Ranma. You forced yourself to become so deluded that you now believe your own false story. Akane destroyed your precious Ranma-chan. As soon as the video appeared, I looked in the time gates and watched her do it." Pluto said while still remaining calm.

"How DARE YOU!" Nabiki cried. Her brain ached for the answers it needed. She didn't like to become angry but when she did her mind went into overdrive.

"Who are you to say what I have and have not done when I, along with my entire school, am CERTAIN of your involvement in Ranma's kidnapping?" Nabiki cried.

Pluto's reply was instant and perfect in almost all manners. "I am the Senshi of Time, chosen to protect the Time gates. I looked into your past and watched your actions as soon as you gave us a bad name in the public. I don't know why you chose us to blame for your crimes. But for whatever reason, you and your sister are lying, murdering, fools." Pluto stated. Her tone was the bored and unreadable tone that usually decorated Nabiki's face.

"You think that I-!" Nabiki started.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Came the cry as a bubbly looking blonde girl came into view. "Finally…" Pluto muttered. "Quickly! You must use your Moon Healing Activation on her and let her remember what TRULY happened!"

"Her? Her who?" Sailor moon asked.

The other sailors, along with Pluto pointed to Nabiki. Nabiki had become a little edgy… she didn't exactly have backup and she was not expecting a fight.

"What the heck?" Nabiki asked. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"You have twisted your own mind with made-up stories and alibis. This should cure you." Pluto said.

"Alright then Pluto. Here It goes. MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!" Sailor Moon cried. She preformed the dance quickly to Nabiki's eyes, though it seemed to take half an hour to the Sailors. Nabiki had been around long enough to know about the brain. And she knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that something was in hers. Messing with her head and memories. This was her last thought before what she knew was true was forgotten, and what she knew was false, became true.

Memories flooded into her. Memories of how Akane had killed Ranma by malleting him to a bloody and broken corpse in the ground. Memories of how she had conspired with Akane to keep it a secret by making a fake video about the Senshi and by having a fake Ranma and Akane act like they were in love.

Suddenly she felt them appear in her mind's eyes. It seemed as if she was watching a black and white video, looking down upon herself.

"It has to be Pluto. She's the only one who could possibly kidnap Ranma." Nabiki watched herself say.

"But are you sure this will work Nabiki? I mean… Ranma getting kidnapped?" Akane asked. "It has too Akane. Otherwise, you could end up in jail. And no member of MY family is going to jail." Nabiki had stated.

"But how in the world could we get the ENTIRE school to believe it? I'm… scared Nabiki." Akane pouted. She poked her index fingers together nervously.

"You don't need to worry about that, Akane-chan. I have some VERY good actors. They owe me almost a hundred thousand yen each, and both are perfect with mirror effects and the like. Ranma's kidnapping will go off without a hitch and look exactly like Pluto did it herself!" Nabiki exclaimed.

"I'm still not sure… why again did you choose to blame the Sailor Scouts?" Akane asked.

"Because, they're the only ones even CAPABLE of kidnapping Ranma! The guy killed a GOD, correct Akane! The Sailors kill demons on a daily basis. If anyone had a chance at kidnapping Saotome, they would." Nabiki exclaimed. "Akane, your going to have to act a little bit too. This is going to be REALLY hard. We somehow have to A: Make you appear to be in love with Ranma. And him back. B: We have to prove Ranma is Ranma by somehow faking his curse and possibly . And C: Pull it off in a believable way."

Akane shivered.  
The vision faded and Nabiki was snapped back to the present. She stared at Pluto. Understanding and guilt flew through her brain, letting her emotions play across her face for the first time in a very long while.

"Are you alright, Tendo-san?" Pluto asked.

Nabiki felt like crying. How could she have done something so horrible? How could she… how could… how… She fled.

Pluto grinned. All going according to plan.

"You may go, scouts. Our work here is done. She won't bother us again." Pluto told the other scouts. Mars was still shivering. Her name exposed meant press at her house, youma attacking her grandfather or herself when she was untransformed. Possibly right in the middle of school.

But Pluto's words soothed her. "What are you going to do Pluto?" She asked. Pluto's eyes had drifted to where Nabiki had run and this had not gone unnoticed by Mars.

"I'm going to enlist her help." Pluto said. "Crystal Tokyo will be here much sooner then any of us anticipated. The great freeze will start within the year." Pluto said. "If anyone can help us… it's that girl. Stay on guard for Akane Tendo. If she comes, you'll know what to do." Pluto stated, slightly glaring at Moon.

Moon nodded giddily as always. "Of course! Moon Healing Activation. Got it!"

"Good." Pluto said. Then she was gone.

* * *

Within the void and darkness of Ranma's abode, she watched. She saw this mind healing trick that appeared to have recovered Nabiki's memories… there weren't many things that could make Nabiki cry but as she ran, Ranma's mirror became water-logged. She begged herself that what Pluto had said wasn't true. "My Akane… she wouldn't… couldn't have killed me. It couldn't have been her… and Nabiki… she…" Ranma muttered to herself. 

If it were true, Ranma knew she should be angry at Akane. She should hate her… despise her. But, try as she might, she could not bring herself to hate or despise the girl. Not in the slightest bit. It couldn't be true. There was just no way that her Akane… the love of her life, would kill her. It just wasn't possible.

She waited and hoped.

* * *

Nabiki lay on her bed, buried in covers. She had gone to face Pluto today to win yet another simple duel of wits. But she had lost. So horribly had she lost. How could she have deluded herself like that? How? HOW? 

She thought back to her memories. They were steel. Concrete. Absolute. She remembered everything with the crystal clarity of remembering something that had happened seconds ago. She remembered watching Akane beat Ranma constantly. Trying to stop Akane but failing. And then, once it was all said and done, conspiring this little plot of theirs, so Akane would be safe from the evil hands of the law.

"I can't have done that. It's just… not… not POSSIBLE! I couldn't have…" But she could not deny her own memories.

Taran Bowlig. Ranma Saotome's male impersonator. An accomplished actor and voice master, who happened to owe her ninety thousand yen due to a loan. He came from northern Japan and, while he didn't look much like Ranma, he had the same height and general build. That was all that mattered. Nabiki had dress experts.

Oheri Ayukawa. Ranma Saotome's female impersonator. A young martial artist who happened to look almost identical to Ranma's female half. Fortunately her entire art was based on chi techniques therefore, impersonating Ranma's Moko Takabisha wasn't difficult at all. She came from America but had very good, albeit rough, Japanese making her a perfect fit.

Sunahi Odeecha. Sailor Pluto's impersonator. A young woman, who was EXTREMELY good with mirrors, lights, and special effects. People who thought Ranma was being dragged into a portal were actually seeing mirrors. Same effect for Ranma's curse. The portal was just an effect perfectly planned out by the specialist girl. As were her perfect imitation Dead Screams. All copied. All fake. All… Not… Ranma.. Ranma was DEAD! And she had hardly thought a thing about it! Not to mention how incredibly easy the entire thing was to pull off. It had taken her a total of seven hours to contact and transport the actors here and teach them of their roles.

"Oh my god… what have I become?" Nabiki said aloud. "Am I just some pathetic con-artist?"

Be that as it may, Nabiki was impressed by her own ingenuity. By deluding herself and Akane into believing their own entire story with the help of an elderly Chinese monk after all the events involving Ranma's kidnapping had occurred, all would have been well. At least would have been well had the Senshi not known how to cure magical delusions such as the ones she and Akane had gone through.

"Do not blame yourself, Tendo Nabiki. You are not at fault here. Akane is the one who destroyed the boy. All you did was try to help her." A voice said.

Nabiki quickly turned and jumped at the sight of the green haired Senshi standing against her wall. "You!" She cried.

"Yes. Me. I normally do not associate myself with the common folk. However, I feel compassion for your plight Nabiki. That ruthless sister of yours begged you to help her and help you did. I wish to offer you a… sort of trade."

"What kind of trade! Is there something else that I am deluding myself into? What else is there? Is there more that I've covered from myself with delusions! Please! You… you have to help me! Please… I'm sorry… I…" Nabiki nearly sobbed. She grabbed the woman and hugged her tightly letting a small trickle of tears fall onto the green haired girl's shoulder.

Pluto jumped back in surprise, but slowly she relaxed against the girl. Apparently, the Moon Healing Activation had let out a few things other then just her crafted memories. This girl was definitely NOT used to showing emotion.

"Calm yourself child. Be calm… be still. All will be well. No, from my Time Gate I have seen that you hold no other delusions for yourself. I promise." She soothed. Nabiki's grip slowly loosened and she pulled herself away from Pluto.

"Now. Where is the Tendo Nabiki I saw in my gate? You must collect yourself. I wish to have you, at least temporarily, as a personal assistant. And if you are going to look like this you will never be able to handle the job." Pluto stated.

"Wha..?" Nabiki asked, dumbfounded. "But… why?"

"Because, I sense a kindred spirit in you Nabiki. A person of great intelligence and aspiration for power. How else could you have pulled off such and ingenious kidnapping scene?" Pluto asked.

Nabiki was, to say the least, still shocked.

"I… Um. Well," Nabiki stuttered.

"You don't need to make your decision right away child. The thing that matters least to me, is time." Pluto said.

"Ok." Nabiki replied. Her mask was about ninety percent back into place. All that remained was her red eyes, and her unsteadiness at losing a battle of wits.

"Ok… what exactly is this… trade?" Nabiki asked. "I will have you as an assistant. For quite a while nothing will be asked of you, save for you avoid Akane until we can unleash her memories… just like yours." Pluto said.

Nabiki shuddered.

"And then?" Nabiki asked.

"When the time comes, you will be our… agent so to speak. When it is time to reveal our presence to the world, you will be the announcer." Pluto told her.

"And… what's in it for me?" Nabiki asked.

"Other than me publicly taking the blame for kidnapping Ranma? Money… lots and lots of money." Pluto said.

"How… much money are we talking about here?" Nabiki asked.

"Enough to keep even YOU set for life. Enough for you to perhaps, not have to worry about money. Maybe enough to give you the time to think of something else?" Pluto said. It seemed to be some sort of a question but Nabiki could not read it, nor understand what the "else" she was talking about could possibly be.

"I… That's quite a lot. Your sure? I.. Why are you offering this to me?" Nabiki asked.

"As I said before, you and I are alike. In more ways than you can fathom." Pluto said.

"I… see." Nabiki replied. "I'm assuming you want me to keep your identities secret for now? Correct?"

"For now. But what will come to pass is not exactly what you would consider a form of democracy. I know you don't know of the goals of the Senshi. Before you accept this, I will tell you of our plans." Pluto said.

"Plans?" Nabiki asked.

"Yes… plans. Plans for the great city of Crystal Tokyo." Pluto stated.

Nabiki listened as Pluto began to tell all that could be told of the magnificent city that would come to be within the decade.

Her thoughts of becoming a business woman slowly shifted as Pluto told of her future plans, to thoughts of being a high ruler of the planet. The dollar signs in her eyes turned to golden crowns.

The boy called Ranma quickly became a thought that entertained only the back alleys of her thought.

* * *

"Damn it…" Ranma sighed. She knew this day was coming. The twenty year anniversary, and the day of change, came with all the people through who's eyes she had viewed. And Nabiki was certainly no exception. It had been an interesting life Nabiki lived. Many secrets Nabiki had held from her when she was young, Ranma now knew and planned to use should she ever be able to return. 

She was happy that she had regained so much after all that time. But so very sad to be leaving the life of her former friend.

Then she regarded Nabiki. She had, well, become very outgoing in the last fifteen years. Ever since Pluto had given her that job she had almost instantly amassed wealth others only dreamed of. And, with that said and done, Nabiki had time for "something else" just as Pluto had said. So Nabiki found herself a husband.  
"Toushi-chan! I… Love…" Nabiki cooed as she leaned in to kiss her husband. Suddenly she whipped around him and caressed his right butt-cheek. "Your Wallet! OH! It is so precious! Oh thank god I married a rich man!"

She poked his bulging wallet pocket a few times before standing to face her smiling husband.

"You know that's really ironic coming from the most powerful woman on the planet who is not a Senshi." Toushi replied.

Nabiki ignored him, preferring to poke his butt and wallet a few more times.

"Nabiki, you do that every other day, you know. Every now and then, I wonder if you still love me." He asked twisting his head around to look down at her.

"Of course!" Nabiki replied as if it were the most common thing in the world for her. "I've loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you Toushi Kotobaki!" She cried as she stood.

He stared her down skeptically. "You loved my wallet more than me the first three years we knew each other!" He exclaimed. "I was your lawyer! Who falls in love with their lawyer?"

"Eh… Apparently me. Hmph. Eh so what? What's important is the here and now!" She cried. "So… wanna go shopping? Your treat?" She asked brandishing her unskilled yet still effective, puppy dog eyes.

They sat down on the couch, Nabiki and Ranma both looking deep into the eyes of Nabiki's lover. Ranma wasn't sure if she should stay or not. "Shopping" had become somewhat of an inside joke to Nabiki and Toushi. It meant that they either wanted to have sex or wanted to go and buy clothing and jewelry and the like. Considering they were sitting down, Ranma had no idea but figured it was probably the first.

She also hated when they had sex. Not just them either… when anyone did in the mirror, it was yet another thing that she… she had missed out on in her life.

Suddenly Ranma heard the painful squeal of the infant daughter of Nabiki, formally known as Natsumi.

"But, Natsumi-san! I just.. I just put you to sleep!… Oh.. Damn." Nabiki pouted. She sluggishly lifted herself off her husband and walked through the hallway of the home. By the way her vision was bouncing Ranma figured Nabiki was swaying her hips in a hopeful attempt to entice her husband. Ranma never found out if she had or not. Because the imaged abruptly disappeared. Faded to darkness.

Ranma sat alone again, waiting for the next life. Who knows? It could even be Akane's.

Ranma had felt that this could be the perfect time to reminisce on Nabiki's past. Ranma had learned much about her own past during her time with Nabiki. She had remembered… well almost everything about herself.

There were still vague faces that she could not recall, though. Her first kiss, she remembered, was not exactly one she was fond of. She had remembered her curse… and her true form though she didn't really remember the fundamentals of being a male. She knew deep down that she would probably never be happy in her original form lest she recover her memories from her TRUE life. Chances? Unlikely.

Many other people she remembered as well. Characters from her life, all those thousands of years ago had appeared… and one by one, slowly left… leaving him to drift, soon making the thought of him fade into nothing but a memory even to Nabiki.

Shampoo had been the first. After her humiliating defeat at the hands of Sailor Pluto, not to mention her inability to exact the kiss of death, Pluto and the other Amazons left quickly.

The Kuno's had probably gone insane. The last time Nabiki had seen them, Kodachi was attacking Akane, who was in turn, being defended by Tatewaki.

Supposedly, the fight had been a stalemate, ending with both parties unconscious and finally, in a mental institution. Nabiki had never heard about them again.

Ryoga had already left but had come back in Akane's time of need, or so she heard. Though, Nabiki stopped associating herself with her family more and more as time went by. And the job of being the Senshi of Time's assistant had begun to grow on her.

And Ranma was saddened all the more.

Suddenly she felt a prick in her mind. It didn't appear to do anything damaging but it seemed as if someone had mentally poked her in the head. Like a headache that lasted only for a few seconds.

"What the hell?" She thought.

She twitched a little bit, preparing for it to assault her again. And assault it did. She again felt the small poke.

"OW!" She cried. It didn't actually hurt but it could become damn annoying.

She lay down and closed her eyes. And there she saw light.

Normally when she closed her eyes she saw the same darkness as everyone else. However, this time there was something there. As if she could see a dark veil. But she could see through the veil. A light, was shining, just on the other side of it. A bright white powerful light, that could be her key to escape. Suddenly a slight bit of the light escaped through the veil and pricked her, giving her the same annoyed feeling.

A word fluttered into her mind. She didn't know where or how it had gotten there, but there it was.

"Saidin."

The light stood there, just beyond her grasp.

* * *

"Hiya!" Akane shouted again. Her haymaker slammed towards the body of Genma Saotome however it was a complete miss which left her open for way to many attacks for her to count. 

And Genma exploited every one of them.

Fortunately, Genma held some of the same hatred for hitting girls as Ranma did, so Akane was not sent flying into a nearby tree or anything akin to that kind of pain.

However she slumped to the ground protecting her bruised and broken stomach. She threw up a little in her mouth as she waited for the taunts that she KNEW would come.

"Come on you weak little girl! All my life I taught Ranma how weak little girls like you are! Now here you are, proving my point all over again! GET UP!" He shouted down on her.

It really dampened Akane's spirits but she persevered. She would NOT give up. She would become strong enough to face the Senshi or her name wasn't Akane Tendo.

She wobbled to her feet and to a ready stance again. Genma's left fist flew toward her, but this one she dodged with a slide to her left. She crouched and used a sweep kick she had seen Ranma use on him before. Unfortunately he read the moved and bound over her. He crouched, performing the same move and tripping her as she rose to her feet.

She leapt up quickly before he could continue with his taunts. She preformed a back round house kick flying straight into his stomach. He skidded back a few feet and smiled.

"Now that's more like it. But you'll need more than that, little girl!" He cried. He flew towards her yet again, slamming a straight right punch into her face, sending her careening backward to land painfully on her back.

"Ahh!" She cried at the impact. She lay twitching for a few moments. When she had again regained enough of her conscious mind to try to again return to her feet she looked up to see Genma who had come to stand over her.

"Roll over." He commanded.

She wasn't exactly sure what he had said. Her body was in too much pain to completely register it. But when he put his foot on her shoulder and rolled her onto her stomach, she almost felt the energy to complain.

Suddenly his hands hit her back and rubbed her shoulder blades for a few moments placing her in a temporary heaven. Suddenly, he grasped her shoulder blades and twisted. The clearing reeked with the sound of a crack.

It hurt Akane like hell but suddenly her back felt in place again. The pain faded slowly and soon she was on her feet again.

"I… Thanks Mr. Saotome." Akane said as she forced herself to her feet.

"Don't go soft on me Akane. If you plan to become my son's wife then you'd better be able to handle that yourself next time!" He cried. His fists flew this time, sending them at a rate of about eighty… possibly ninety punches per minute.

Akane didn't know how she did it. But in the three days she had resided in the clearing with her fiancée's father, she knew she had become astronomically better in the art. Because she knew that there was no way she could have weaved through the punches now flying her way, three days before. But weave she did. And she truly enjoyed it. She still knew she was no where near Ranma's level. But she was getting closer.

For some strange reason, she felt that Ranma was watching her. She didn't know how. But Ranma, HAD to be watching her.

Suddenly it began to rain, causing Akane's target to become much more ferocious. Soon one of the paws made a hit, strengthening her all the more. Through the barrage of punches she searched, ever more frantically for an opening. She never found one and soon lost her ability to dodge as his connected hits became more and more numerous.

Genma was impressed. Ranma had, of course, shown much more potential then Akane. But at the rate she was going she would beat all of Ranma's other fiancée's with ease soon. Possibly even become a match for that Ryoga boy.

But she had a long way to go to get to Ranma. Genma, despite his outer attitude, was proud of his son. After all, who else could say their son killed a demi-god?

Genma could!

But perhaps he could be proud of his daughter-in-law as well. Hmm. If anything, her determination was something to definitely be proud of. It was amazing how many times she stood when she should be out cold.

Just like Ranma had.

Yes. Genma was proud

* * *

"Another life goes bye. Time… That's all I have now. Time, time and more time." Ranma thought to herself. "And one day… All people will have time. One day they will all be like me. All alone… All alone! Ha ha." Ranma muttered to herself. 

She lay on the ground, twiddling hundreds of tiny balls of light around in amazing formations, taking temporary joy in her skill. And then anger at the worthlessness of it.

Another two thousand years had gone by. Another hundred lives. Big deal.  
She closed her eyes and treated herself with another view of the great black veil that housed the light.

It wasn't a veil actually. It was more like a wall. A great, black, flowing, transparent, barrier between her and her light.

It had a small crack that she had made over the years by, in essence, mentally pounding on it.

Some of the light seeped through this crack… had been seeping through the crack since she had found it. They were small streams of raw power, and they had strengthened her even more. She felt that they had done something else to her though she was unsure of what.

As time had gone on she had become less and less caring for the world of the mirror, preferring to spar against her own self created shadow images.

But she did want one thing. She wanted EVERYONE to experience the joys of being alone for the eighteen thousand years she had been subjected too. She had become jealous of the living. So much so…

She didn't understand why. She knew that a mere two thousand years ago she had been…. Mostly completely normal. But she had been driven partially insane by her own memories. Memories of what had happened to her. Did Akane kill her? Did Pluto? Or was the video true?

She didn't remember. Two thousand years, one hundred lives, and fading memories had all occurred between her last sighting of Akane.

This time she remembered who the girl was. And dreamed of the good days when she did not remember her. Those days had been easy. She had no reason to feel jealous of anyone. But when she even thought of anyone taking lightly of the chance to talk to Akane it made her blood boil. She hadn't been able too. For twenty years while she had been with Nabiki she had not been able to talk to the girl. Suddenly the mirror sprang to life again as it always did.

And again… she saw someone from her memories. And yet again. Akane was brought back into her life.

"But Akane-chan! You can't!" The black haired man shouted.

But the voice from the mirror interrupted. "I can and I will if Mr. Saotome doesn't train me."

It was a dark and devious threat, at least to the man receiving it. Ranma could tell. From the reaction on the black haired man's face Ranma knew that whoever's eyes she was looking through was placing a horrible threat on the man. And then his name came to her.

"Soun." She thought. "Soun Tendo. Father of-"

"My baby yelled at me!" The man cried.

"Saotome-san! You MUST train her! For the sake of her humanity!"

"Saotome? My.." Ranma exclaimed. Suddenly the vision turned and faced a large man in a white gi.

"My father." Ranma thought.

It was amazing how he appeared to have not changed a bit.

"My Akane… I can see you… finally… I can see you again." Ranma sighed. Tears came from her eyes and landed on the ground, dissolving into it's darkness instantly.

Ranma felt her insanity dwindle. She no longer felt the urge to bring all people into her misery. Not anymore. And she was glad.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"DAMNITALL!" Akane swore. She lay in her tent thinking about the day and the events that had led to her usual defeat.

The man would not fall. Even after a month and a half! No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she concentrated, that damn bastard always found a way to maneuver around all her attacks.

So much like Ranma. It was amazing how alike they were. The only difference was this man was a cold hearted bastard. While Ranma was sweet, kind, caring. All other mannerisms of perfect.

"STUPID UNCUTE TOMBOY!"

The words rang in her mind. "DUMB INSENSITIVE JERK!" Came her own voices reply.

"Hmm. He was only kind and caring in the past few months. So… why can't I get him off my mind?" She thought.

He was a perverted boy who had wormed himself into her mind, heart, and not to mention her pants.

Then when he had everything, disappeared leaving a promise of "I'll be back!" And that was that.

"No. He'll come back. I'll make him come back. And when I get him back I'm NEVER letting him go again." She almost clipped on the words, "He's Mine" to her mental monologue. But she caught herself. She did not want to think of him as a possession.

Suddenly her stomach rumbled.

"Oh… that really hurts!" She moaned.

It was curious… ever since about two weeks previous her stomach had been aching. Also, curious. She had not had her period at the right time like normal. As a matter of fact, it still hadn't yet occurred.

"Ooooh." She moaned again. She rolled over on her futon.

She decided to go to sleep. She knew that Genma would wake her in the most annoying way possible. He seemed to enjoy it immensely, so she had prepared to be on guard.

She lay down again on her futon and quickly fell asleep.

"Don't worry Akane. I'm watching you. I'm still here with you. Watching you."

The voice was very soft. But Akane had thought she had heard it, just as she fell into dreamless sleep.

* * *

Shampoo was happy. She stood, accompanied by one other person in an abandoned clearing. Finally, her chance to rid herself of this stupid honor kiss. She could finally rid herself of her "airen" and go home to be the champion of the village again. 

"So… You keep Ranma. You swear?" She asked, tentatively but still holding a slightly threatening tone.

She had been looking for Sailor Pluto for almost two weeks now. Finally she had found her and, having done that, she convinced a compromise from the witch. She had brought her to this clearing no less then twenty seconds before, telling her plan to Pluto on the way.

"From what I know of him, it will be a long time… at least six months, before I will allow him back." The green haired woman said. "Alright… you somehow make your great-grandmother believe Nabiki's story. I will make sure that your villages ears are turned away from any information about Ranma's release."

"Good. Ok. I don't want do this part. But you beat Shampoo now." Shampoo commanded. Shampoo braced herself and became ready for the damage.

Sailor Pluto nodded.

"Dead Scream!" Pluto cried. The blast threw Shampoo back and slammed her into a tree.

The tree was strong. It held Shampoo as attack upon attack came whirling from Pluto, slamming Shampoo further and further into the tree.

Her eyes were closed. She had expected pain, but this was down right mutilating. Blood fell from her face and abdomen. Her arms were scarred from the bark of the tree they were being forced into repeatedly. Her back faired no better. Her clothing, ripped and torn, exposing certain places Shampoo would rather not be exposed.

The onslaught stopped and she fell out of the tree, falling to the ground in a disheveled pile of flesh blood and fabric.

"You know the plan." Were the words she heard from Pluto as her consciousness left her.

* * *

Akane's training went quickly. It lasted for a grand total of two months. 

Most of her newfound skill appeared during the last two weeks. She had become determined to defeat the Senshi and thus began waking up at ungodly hours, training breakfast which lasted a grand total of say ten minutes, and then doing the same for the rest of the day, ten minutes per food break. While she progressed the most during this time, the most interesting time had been when she was on her period.

She had almost defeated Genma in barely contained rage. She had woken him from his slumber in the same way he usually did to her. By throwing him into a tree. Then the had fought ferociously to the point of exhaustion when they both collapsed. It was horribly funny. But it was all worth it.

By the end of her training Akane had become GOOD.

And not just decently good. Ranma knew that if she had been fighting Akane, back when she was still free anyway, Akane could have given her a run for her money.

Well, even that might be pushing it. Ranma probably still would have been able to toy with Akane, but not as much as she could with Ukyo or Shampoo.

She thought of how Akane's training had progressed. As she had almost come to be able to defeat Mr. Saotome, Ryoga showed up and attacked Genma with a rage. Genma was older but that did not mean he was weaker.

Ryoga met his match in Ranma's father. They traded blow for blow until Akane malleted them both into unconscious bliss.

In the end, they both helped Akane train. Ryoga enlisted in the aid of Akane against the Senshi, knowing that he could no longer have Akane's love. Ranma suspected he secretly hoped for her loss.

Akane's power grew exponentially. Soon she came close to being able to take on both Ryoga and Genma at the same time.

Ranma figured both of them were holding back a little but Akane definitely gave them a run for their money a few times. But if Akane were to be put up against the eighteen thousandish years she had lived…

Ranma wasn't sure if ANYONE could give her a run for her money, now. She had become godly. Or… so she hoped. Given eighteen thousand years she hoped she had become strong. But she had no one to compare herself too. No one to compete against.

So alone.  
She glanced back from her own training towards the screen. Akane was no longer training. She was now in a tent resting with her eyes still open.

"Today is the day." Akane muttered to herself. "I'm going back today." She said to herself.

"Today.." Ranma thought. "Perhaps today… maybe today I will be freed."

It was an old thought. Ranma had thought it about once a day for a very long time now. Sometimes even twice a day. Dreaming to herself about acquiring freedom had become somewhat of a hobby.

But perhaps, today Akane would be able to save her from her prison. Or perhaps not. Ranma could not get her hopes up. She'd been keeping them down for… thousands of years. She couldn't become hopeful for aid now.

"Come on. It's time to head back!" Akane shouted as she exited her tent.

She began to pull up the sides of her tent and quickly folded it back into a carrying size and placed it in her pack.

"Um gruff rowr." Came from Ranma's father as Akane finished folding her tent. He exited his tent and yawned. It annoyed him that his new trainee was so… good in the mornings.

Ryoga was the last to wake. Though he beat Genma in folding his tent by about ten minutes. "Come on old man! Your son would be ashamed of you! Were waiting!" Ryoga shouted.

The panda flashed it's claws at Ryoga and continued to try to force the tent to fold correctly with his enormous paws.

After Genma's third try Ryoga did it for him. He simply could not bend the tent correctly in his panda form.

During this time Akane had grown impatient. "Hey, come on! I wanna get home!" Akane cried. "So I can go to Juuban." She stopped herself from adding.

* * *

The journey home was uneventful. None of them spoke. Ryoga only got lost once or twice. Akane remained silent as well. 

"Taidama!" Akane cried as she entered the house.

"Oh. Welcome home Akane! It's been so long! I was getting worried!" Kasumi cried. She ran to her sister and hugged her gently.

"It's good to be back Kasumi. But, I'm afraid I can't stay. I'm getting Ranma back, today or never." Akane said firmly.

"I… well, he has been gone awfully long. It's been… lonely without you both here." Kasumi said sadly.

"Akane-chan." Came another voice. It was Nabiki who stood at the top of the stairs.

"Oneesan." Akane replied. She hadn't truly expected Nabiki to be present as she usually was out doing… something.

"Akane. Go get Ranma back. I… couldn't blackmail them into it. So it'll have to be you." Nabiki said.

"I… Ok. Nabiki? Are… are you… crying?" Akane asked noticing the red around her sisters eyes.

"No… of, course not." Nabiki said. To Akane it sounded firm. To Nabiki, her own voice sounded like it was underwater.

"Alright then!" Akane exclaimed. "Um… where is father?" She asked tentatively.

"He's in the Dojo praying Akane. Akane… without Ranma around this place has become so… so… not like home. Please save him. Perhaps I was wrong and he won't be able to get back on his own this time. So… for all of us. Please save him?" Kasumi pleaded.

Akane was surprised at her sisters pleading. It appeared that somehow Kasumi had been affected by the loss of Ranma as much as she had. As if his presence, or lack of his presence, had eaten at the soul of Kasumi and even Nabiki. But Akane held her emotions firmly now and this time, she WOULDN'T lose Ranma.

"Alright. I'm going to go to Juuban then. I'll be back, and so will Ranma!" Akane cried. "Come on, Ryoga… lets go!" "Hai, Akane-san." Ryoga stuttered.

They turned and exited.

"No… You won't." Nabiki whispered. A tear trailed down her face and she fled to the solitude of her room.

* * *

Ranma was impressed by Akane's ability. Akane could jump almost as high as she could have herself back then. Probably even higher. Even on to a moving object such as the train she and Ryoga were riding. 

Ranma was equally impressed by her clothing. She almost laughed at it. It brought out the tomboy in her. A red Chinese shirt with blue pants.

Right after she'd left she'd returned and grabbed up a pair of Ranma's clothing. Ranma had caught a glimpse of it in the mirror Akane looked in momentarily. It looked good on her.

She recalled, having worn these clothes herself once upon a time though she had been naked for longer then she could remember.

It was an interesting ride to say the least but it ended quickly. Juuban was twenty minutes away by way of car. The speedy bullet trains made it in ten.

Akane leapt off the train, Ryoga in toe, and made her way across the city.

Unfortunately the Senshi did not appear to be anywhere nearby. She had no idea as to how to make her presence known to them so she did what came naturally.

"Ryoga, can you throw a perfect Shi Shi Hokodan?" Akane asked.

Ryoga's heart wrenched in two. The… EX-love of his life had just asked him to recall that horrible moment when she had told him she hated him. But, it was Akane. For her, he would do anything. Even if it meant something like this.

"Uh.. I guess." He answered solemnly. "Ok, can you do it in a safe place where there isn't any people, or expensive property around? Uh… there!" She cried oblivious to his pain. She pointed to an open clearing that didn't appear to have anything special involved with it.

"Yeah… sure." He said sadly.  
Akane noted his depression and went to apologize and take back the idea but it was too late. Ryoga already stood in the center of the clearing.

"SHI SHI HOKODON!" He cried.

The purplish blast of light exploded into the air, attracting the attention of almost every person in the district. Including one Makoto Kino who happened to be not too far away.

"Oh my…" She thought as she looked at the great ball of light that hung itself in the sky.

She pulled out her communicator and contacted Amy. She was the best at rounding up the Senshi. Whatever this thing was, it was pretty damn big and they might need all of them.

"Uh.. Amy?" She said through the communicator.

"Makoto?" She replied. "Do you see…"

"YES!" Makoto interrupted. "Get the rest of the Senshi. I'm going in."

Makoto made the change into Sailor Jupiter and sped towards where the ball had disappeared.

She arrived on the scene quickly. The large crater was difficult to miss. There was a young man at the bottom of the crater, apparently in good shape though he was breathing hard.

Akane watched the Senshi appear. But, she did not wait for the introductions.

"Hiya!" She cried. She charged down off the building she stood on and slammed her foot into the green-skirted Senshi's face. The kick slammed Jupiter's face to the right but she remained grounded.

"Hey what the heck?" She cried. She looked back only to see a fist flying at her face. She bent her back, ducking under it quickly. Then she smirked. This girl wanted a fist fight, eh? She had no idea who she was dealing with.

The began trading punches and kicks, each with almost equal speed and accuracy.

Unfortunately a loud "thump" signaled the exit of close range combat as Jupiter found herself careening backwards and slamming into a building, only to fall off it onto the ground quickly.

"Uhh…" She moaned but managed to rise to her feet. Mentally she thanked god for the disguises. Injuries received during transformations, seemed to not appear. Otherwise, Makoto would have a hard time coming up with an explanation for her black eye and bloody nose.

"This girl is good." She muttered.

She had no time to think of a strategy as the blue haired girl charged her again. She was placed on the defensive as punches and kicks hailed down on her enhanced body.

"God, what IS this girl?" she thought. Defeating her in her Non-Senshi form in fist combat was a feat in itself. This in particular should not have been possible.

Suddenly another Senshi appeared. It was Mars. She jumped out from a building a ways away and landed close.

"Hey! That's my friend your beating there!" She cried. She was about the throw a punch to her face when she suddenly found a horrible crick in her neck and that she was flying through the air.

"No one interrupts Akane's fights while I'm around." Ryoga said calmly.

Mars picked herself up from the rubble. She was horribly annoyed. They were human, yet very powerful in their own right. The real problem was, none of her magical attacks were usable as they were not about to kill humans.

"Damn it.. Where's Venus and that damn chain of hers when you need it?" She moaned as she stood from the rubble of the collapsed wall.

They found themselves in a park shortly as their fights seemed to follow each other. Akane made sure she and Jupiter never strayed far from Ryoga.

"We want Ranma back now." Ryoga stated during a pause between their fights. "If anyone plans on getting rid of Ranma. It had better be me."

Ryoga was impressed with Mars. She dodged almost every attack he through. Granted he was distracted by her short skirt and other parts of her skimpy outfit. But still, Ranma had done the same and even he usually took more damage than this girl was avoiding.

It was usually against his creed to hit a girl. But he had made exceptions before. And this girl was separating Akane from the person she loved. Even if that was Ranma… Ryoga couldn't handle that fact.

"Rr! Stop avoiding me!" He cried as he charged her. She jumped and sailed over his form landing gracefully on the other side of him.

"Look we don't know who this Ranma person is! That video was a fake! A publicity stunt!"

"Enough with your lies! PREPARE TO DIE!" He cried. While he didn't actually intend to kill her, his speech usually threw opponents off guard. Well… opponents who weren't Ranma.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!" he cried. He stuck the ground below him and rocks exploded everywhere, creating unavoidable meteors that impaled Mars, cutting her face and skin. She was blown back though not bodily. She landed on her back, bruised and cut everywhere.

Ryoga smirked. "I win."

Mars simply moaned.

Akane however, still appeared to be evenly matched with Jupiter.

"Heh… your pretty good…" Jupiter said between breaths.

"You… aren't bad yourself…" Akane wheezed. "But, it doesn't matter. I've been holding back."

"Huh?" Was Jupiter's last thought.

Akane had a special trick up her sleeve. She had mastered one of Ranma's techniques. "Katsuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" She cried. Her fists were fast and precise, hitting every vital point, repeatedly until Jupiter fell unconscious.

"And that's that." She said. She glanced toward Ryoga who had also subdued his opponent. Fortunately, however, his was not unconscious.

"Alright. I asked nicely before, I'll ask nicely one more time. Where is Ranma?" Ryoga asked menacingly he crouched down low and stared into the eyes of the red-skirted girl.

"I…ah… don't know… what you're…" "Stop lying!" Ryoga shouted. He grabbed her necked and came even closer stared deeper into her eyes.

Rei was afraid. This man, a completely human man at that, had beaten her thoroughly. Even if she were at full condition she figured she wouldn't have a chance. "Usagi… where are you!" She thought desperately.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Came a cry. And, sure enough, Rei's savior jumped into view.

Sailor's Moon, Venus, and Mercury all appeared high above the scene of the battle. "Who are you who attack your fellow comrades in the fight against the forces of evil?" Usagi cried.

Mercury and Venus looked at her peculiarly.

"Where did that speech come from?" They both wondered. They were well accustomed to the, 'In the name of the Moon, I will punish you." But this was new. Perhaps Usagi was growing a brain?

"Fellow comrade? You kidnapped my fiancée!" Akane shouted.

Moon jumped off the building and squat-landed on the ground below. "We did not!" Moon shouted angrily.

"Hmm. Then perhaps you haven't spoken with the green haired member of your team? Calls herself Pluto I think?" Akane said skeptically.

"As a matter of fact we have." Mercury spoke up. "And she told us not to believe a thing you or your sister Nabiki said!"

"Is that so? Well, then I'll just have to let my fists do the talking." Akane replied.

She charged, Ryoga in toe.

Suddenly she heard the sound of a technique.

"MOON HEALING ACTIVATION!" Moon shouted.

Akane was halted by the wave of energy she felt. She didn't know why they would cast a rejuvenating spell, but they did. And it, WORKED. Akane felt better then she ever had in her life. But then she felt it. Something was inside her head.

She felt her memories being altered and changed and knew that she had walked right into a trap.

"Oh DAMNIT! Ran.. ma… oh…"

* * *

Ranma watched Akane. 

She was proud of the blue-haired girl. No teacher whatsoever, yet she had mastered one of Ranma's most difficult techniques. If she had soul of ice she seriously be kickin' ass.

But as soon as the blond who would later become queen Serenity let loose her attack Akane's vision blurred.

She didn't exactly black out, though it was… fuzzy. He saw through her eyes though, at the moment SHE didn't appear to be seeing through HER eyes. As if she were.. Blank, or… watching something else. It had happened a few times before, though never quite as extreme as this case.

The person who's eyes she was looking through, went into a mild comatose and then woke talking about something crazy. A vision or a… or something unusual.

Suddenly they snapped back open. She found herself held by a pair of strong arms. Ryoga's arms.

She stared at Usagi.

"I… I…" She babbled. "I couldn't… it…"

Ryoga looked at Akane. He had felt the full blast of the healing technique and nothing save for a feeling of wholeness beyond anything he had ever felt before, had happened to him. But Akane had temporarily been whacked out of it.

"What the hell did you do to her!" He cried.

"Ryoga… I…" Akane muttered.

"CHANGE HER BACK!" Ryoga screamed.

Ryoga charged Sailor Moon. She had done something to Akane. Something that hadn't happened to himself. Whatever it was it had better get undone. He would not have Akane stuttering like this. Nor would he have that look in her eyes.

Horror. It was the only word capable of describing Akane's expression.

Moon was surprise at the attack. The other two moved quickly but Moon was left directly in Ryoga's path.

Suddenly a shout yelled above the rushing winds singing in Ryoga's ears.

"RYOGA STOP!"

Ryoga halted quickly. While his feet stopped quickly, the momentum of his travel did not and thus, his upper body slammed into the ground.

"Akane?" He cried as he stood and turned around.

"Ryoga… I…"

"Akane? What happened? What did they do!" He shouted.

"They… didn't… they didn't do anything." Akane buried her face in her hands and curled her legs up. "It… it was me…"

"What are you talking about!" Ryoga exclaimed.

"They… the Senshi… they didn't… kill Ranma…"

"Kill Ranma? Huh? Yes they did. They kidnapped him. Akane they must have done something… cast some dark magic to make you think that-"

"THEY DID DO IT! I DID! I …. I KILLED RANMA!" She sobbed. Her tears dripped off the side of her hands and onto her blue pants.

* * *

"NO!" Ranma screamed! "NO NO NO! THAT CAN'T BE TRUE! Not after all this time! NO! NO!" She cried. 

She let loose and enormous ki blast against the pedestal that held her mirror. She screamed energy rammed into the crystalline covering on the pedestal. It still appeared undamaged in the face of all of her energy.

She closed her eyes and looked deep for the power to break the wretched thing. The evil cruel item that told her Akane was her killer. She would not believe it! NEVER!

And suddenly. The wall barring her from her light broke. She gripped onto the light and it burst through the barrier and seeped within her. She felt warm. Happy. Powerful. Colorful. Alive. Alive in a way that she had not felt since she had been brought to this god-forsaken void.

But the only one of these feelings that mattered to her was the third. Powerful.

Suddenly, enhanced by the power of her light, she found the power she needed. The true power. The one power.

And the crystal encasement cracked. And then burst into millions of tiny shards. The mirror disappeared leaving only the book and the pedestal, which was now unprotected.

The book was flung away as the pedestal itself shattered and disintegrated.

And below the ground stood a swirling circle of void, even darker then her current imprisonment. But it was a way out. A portal.

She let down her ki blast. And slumped to the ground slowly.

"What have I done?" She thought.

There was fortunately, still light. A small light quite far from where she stood.

She ran towards it. Slowly realizing what it was.

"The book. The book the mirror image came from." She thought.

She picked it up upon arriving at it's side. She looked at it. It only had one page. The rest of them seemed to be completely glued together, made of metal or tough plastic

She closed the book and ran toward the hole.

"This is it." She thought. "I've finally broken it. Finally… my freedom."

She jumped into the hole.

And darkness consumed her.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open at the feeling of being touched. Something she had not felt... She felt overwelmed by the sensation. 

She stared up at the man and slid to the back of whatever the small room she was in was. He had been placing a blanket over her. The feeling was odd. The furry touch of the red blanket felt awkward and odd upon her untouched and pale skin.

"Who are you?" She asked threateningly.

"Eh?" He replied.

"I said who are you!" She cried.

The man didn't understand a word out of the woman's mouth. He had been wandering the ways for quite some time now and never had he found a person as powerful as this girl. She wasn't dead. She wasn't even low on her soul even after his draining.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." He stated. He couldn't help glancing at her unhindered breasts and other such unmentionable places.

"What do you want? Where am I? How did I get here?" She cried.

"Calm down! Calm down!" He said. He motioned with his hands to get the irate girl to simmer down. He didn't understand what she was saying but he could tell she was angry and confused. Apparently she had no idea how she had gotten to where she was.

She calmed slowly. She looked at her surroundings and found herself in awe. Things. Actual things! Things she could see and touch and feel! All the pretty things! It didn't matter what they were or what they did. It was just that they WERE! And she could touch them!

There actually were not that many things. A blanket, a fire, a tin can, possibly holding water, and a few books.

Books? Oh no! Where was her-!

She then noticed the book in the man's hand! "GIMME!" She cried. She bounded at the man and latched onto the book, while throwing them both onto the ground.

She landed on top of him and suddenly felt her face flush. An odd feeling. Something she had not felt… ever.

"Here." He said calmly. He handed her the book as she got off him. She accepted it and clutched it to her chest. She felt like a small child. But she couldn't help it. It was the only thing she had known and understood for so long.

She opened it. And sure enough, it lit and through Akane's eyes, again did she see though this time, it was interrupted by the crease in the middle of the book.

"Wow… what is… who are you?" He asked.

She didn't understand and gave him a clueless look.

He pointed to himself. "Machin Shin." He tapped his chest.

Understanding dawned on her face.

"I'm Ranma." She said.

"Just Ranma?" He questioned.

She nodded. She felt giddy. It had been so long since she had someone to talk to.

* * *

OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO HARD TO WRITE! I HAD TO ARTICULATE LIKE SEVEN DIFFERENT EVENTS FOR THE SAME SPECIFIC TIME AND… AND… AND… 

Oh it was just hard to write.

If you haven't noticed. I "messed up!" In one scene I said, Akane had a period. And in another I said she didn't.

THIS IS NOT A MESS UP!

PLEASE DON'T YELL AT ME FOR IT! ALL WILL BE EXPLAINED LATER!

Replies not many cuz I don't really feel like it. Taxzombie: Thanks for the review! Nice to get a review from someone I bitched at for something stupid way back when. So… have I gotten better since the good ole' days of The Blessing?  
Max Krugman: I had intended a very very very long reply for you. But then I noticed that you called me a moron and because of that decided you don't deserve it… I decided I would sum it all up it a few words.

First off. Sorry about archaic. My mistake. Thought it meant mystic but found out that it means old. Will change.

Second. I know what sama means. It can ALSO mean beloved as in the way Konatsu uses it. Try rereading Akane's sentence. MY is the key word making Ranma into Akane's possession. Not sama.

I am not a moron. Don't call me one. Or don't review.

Borg Rabbit: Wot… a… plot… device? Um… um.. Um.. Um… AHAH! Sry. Wheel of time is a VERY VERY LONG book series by Robert Jordan. 10 books spanning for bout 600 pages on average. Actually prolly longer. Really good stories too. You should read em.

Thank you to all who reviewed! And all who will review! This is quickly becoming my favorite work and probably will remain so for some time to come.


	4. The Birth of Black Wind

Been A while eh? I'm back! I've decided one thing during my vacation and absence from the world of fan fiction. FLORIDA SUCKS! All it is, is rain, rain, and more rain. It's rain city down there! I go on a vacation to Florida, hoping to hit up the Bahamas and things just go wronger and wronger. Parent's forget their passports. Rain all the time. Brought a dog that actually GAVE BIRTH to puppies IN the van while we were driving! It just plain sucked if you ask me. I don't think I ever really wanna go back. Sawgrass mills mall is cool tho. 

There is one thing about this fic that I should have mentioned a long time ago. Everything in this story involving the Wheel of Time comes from BEFORE half way through book 4. While this Chapter takes place long before and during the first book(so all you who don't understand aren't TOO far behind.) I have never read past the fourth though I do plan on it soon. So almost everything past there you have to forget… ok? I probably do not plan to do so until I have finished this fic. I'm afraid I'll find something that is incredibly wrong with the fic, based on the books settings but the further in I read the more it limits me you know?

Ok. Lesse. I guess this is the part where I continue the fic right? Right. Ok. On with the show! Start of this chapter is a little bit different. You like? I know all you people who don't know what the Karaethon Cycle is are going to be griping at me but it will be explained enough to keep you as informed as those who have read the book. (More than likely in the next chapter.) (Plus I think prophesies are down right cool! And Robert Jordan damn well does em' right!) The first prophecy is all Jordan's making (save for one addition). The second is mine.

* * *

_And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide…_  
_ Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow, born once more as he was born before and shall be born again, time without end. The Dragon shall be Reborn, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth. In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation._

_The ways of the worlds are connected…_

_From The Karaethon Cycle:  
The Prophecies of the Dragon,  
As translated by Ellaine Maise'idin Alshinn,  
Chief Librarian at the Court of Arafel,  
In the Year of Grace 231 of the new era, The Third Age._

_And in the other world it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon that world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide…  
The one born of the mountain shall fall as naught. He will destroy the power of the dark one and yet be turned to break that world and then himself as has been done before and will be done again, time without end. Only when She who Dances the Flames shall come to his aid, will the turning of the wheel cease. The coming of She who Dances the Flames, She not bound by the wheel, will hail the destruction of that world and Salvation of the people. And the people of that world shall cry out for the Dragon and for She who Dances the Flames saying, Finally, we are freed, sheltered by the arms of The Lord of the Dawn and The Lady who Dances the Flames. The Wheel shall be broken. And finally, shall not the Dragon be reborn. Finally shall he rest from the winds of time. And here, home, her memory lead the people of both worlds for the rest of eternity. The Child of the Moon shall be her heir and time shall be stripped of it's looking glass. O ye people of the worlds, your salvation is come._

_The ways of the worlds are connected…_

_From The Karaethon Cycle:  
The Prophecies of She who Dances the Flames  
As translated by Eve El'fera   
Chief Librarian in the Halls of England   
In the Year 1407   
Of the English Empire_

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Birth of Black Wind**

* * *

"I didn't mean it! I.. it. It wasn't my fault it… it was a mistake! An… accident! I…" Akane's sobbed. Her stuttering broke into nothing but incomprehensible babbling. 

"Oh my." Usagi thought. It wasn't exactly new to her to deal with death. But that was death by fighting, at the hands of demons. This was entirely new to her. Murder? She had unlocked Akane's memory of herself committing a murder? She was reminded of an American movie… Secret… Window? But she cast the thought from her mind.

"I'm really sorry. But it isn't good to delude yourself into believe something that isn't true. The Senshi fight for peace and justice. We don't kidnap people. I'm… sorry Akane Tendo." She said in a motherly voice. She had become quite good at it and was getting better with time.

Akane was sobbing wordlessly. Usagi had embraced her in a hug at some point, giving her a shoulder to cry on.

Ryoga watched from a few feet away. He didn't know what to think. He had started with denials. How could his flower of innocence possible destroy another living being? Even if it WAS Ranma?

'Akane… killed Ranma? How… no. Ranma wouldn't let Akane kill him. Or… would he?' Ryoga thought.

"AKANE I LOVE YOU!" Ryoga recalled Ranma's shout on Mount Saffron. Even if Ranma himself said he couldn't remember what he had said, Ryoga did.

"Akane…" He sighed lowly. He lowered his head and shook it side to side. He still loved her but somehow the thought of her being cruel enough to kill someone, even if it was Ranma, had finally gotten to him She wasn't the perfect girl he had thought she was. He threatened the action every day but… she actually killed him? If her sobbing was any indication…

Suddenly a moan echoed across the clearing. Sailor Mars, laying on her back among rubble and uprooted grass from Ryoga's Bakusai Tenketsu, squirmed at her predicament. She was immobilized. Moving any part of her body felt like the meteor-like rocks were stabbing her again.

The unharmed scouts, save for Moon, ran to her aid.

Ryoga stood and watched. Slowly he turned. It was the only thing he could do. He fled, shouting a loud, "I'm sorry" before he fazed from existence as always.

Akane was aware of his departure. She could sympathize with it though. She couldn't imagine any other option that he would have chosen.

"How? How could I do something so… horrible?" She thought as she slowly recovered and let go of Sailor Moon.

"Are you alright now? From what Pluto told me, you fragmented your memory. I've repaired it. I hope you've learned. Please don't make the same mistake." Moon said, still using the motherly tone. "Due to Pluto's instructions, I am to give you pardon for this act against us and not ask you to turn yourself in to the authorities."

"I…" Akane couldn't answer. Tears still trailed down her cheeks. It made no sense to her. Pardon? NO! PARDON! She killed someone! RANMA! The man she thought she'd… she'd…

She didn't think she deserved pardon. But what choice did she have if her sister was involved? What would she do… now that he was gone?

Moon stood and walked to Mars's side. She healed Mars and Jupiter. When she had turned around Akane was gone.

* * *

"So your name is Ranma." Machin said. "How did you get here?" 

Ranma didn't understand a word that he said. She looked at him questioningly.

He pointed to her. "You." He said. Then he pointed to the stone ground and said, "Here." Then he held his hands out, palms up, and cocked his head to the right. "How?"

Ranma was pleased. It appeared that hand gestures seemed to be basically the same between their cultures. She shrugged hoping to get a good reaction. "I don't know." She said.

Machin Shin deciphered the phrase to mean something like what it was. This language didn't seem too hard at all. "Our gestures are the same. She can't be from too far away. So much power though." He thought. "I can hardly believe she is human."

She smiled at him gaily, and he flushed. He was definitely human. Albeit cursed to eat only the soul energy of others, he was a good person. If you could get past the fact that he usually killed or drove people insane upon meeting them. It wasn't his fault anyway. But this girl hadn't even FELT his soul drain.

In all honesty Machin didn't think that was possible. Or at least hadn't thought that was possible.

Ranma jumped up, leaving the blanket on the ground, unintentionally giving Machin a horribly good view of every part of her body. Back when he had lived a normal life, if something like this happened, Machin would be severely beaten by the offended woman. If not that then harshly scolded at the least whether it was his own fault or not. So her standing up while naked came as a surprise to him.

He jumped himself, though in a completely different manner. Surprise and embarrassment crossed the poor soul leech's face. He turned quickly and dared not open his eyes. Somehow, after his thousand or so years of loneliness inside the ways, he had managed to keep his modesty. This girl… this Ranma, did not appear so lucky.

"Don't you have any modesty!" He cried. Ranma looked at him, curiously. Her wide blue eyes boring into the back of his head with confusion. "Why is he acting so odd?" she thought.

She walked up to him inched her head around his shoulder and looked at his tightly clamped eyes from the side.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He began to twitch as her breast rubbed against his right shoulder.

He opened his eyes, bounded up and around her, grabbed the blanket, and finally, draped it over Ranma covering her once more as fast as he possibly could. Then he sighed in relief.

Ranma, who was at an all time emotional high due to her freedom, burst into laughter.

After a while, he joined her.

"I don't mind." She told him. "It's been… far to long for me to care."

He did not understand truly but he had a decent idea of what she meant with her first phrase at least. "It's ok." was his guess. However, the way her voice drifted into depression during her second comment confused him completely. Never in his long life had he heard of a girl becoming depressed at a man covering her exposed body. Especially a stranger.

* * *

Ranma woke slowly. She felt the warm embrace of the old tattered blanket touching her skin and bathed in the beauty of the morning candlelight. She opened her book and looked again through Akane's eyes to make sure that it actually WAS morning. It was impossible to tell within this place. 

Though looking in her book also appeared useless. The poor girl's sight was still brimmed with tears, even in her sleep.

Akane's arrival at home had been interesting to say the least, and downright mollifying to say the most.

She came into the door, tears in her eyes, almost bawling on the doorstep, attracting the entire family's attention.

Kasumi came forward to console the girl at her not entirely unexpected failure.

Akane surprised her elder sister by rising, not accepting Kasumi's embrace, but running to Nabiki instead!

Nabiki was surprised only for a moment. She quickly accepted the embrace, letting Akane soak her shoulder with unhindered tears. The close observer would have noticed one tear drop down Nabiki's face. Fortunately for Nabiki, there had been no close observers and Akane's eye's had been covered by Nabiki's shoulder so she didn't see it either.

Genma and Soun comforted Akane by patting her on the back, thinking only that she had failed to defeat the Senshi.

Kasumi, on the other hand, was furious. So furious, in fact, that she managed to frown. She was the comforter! She was the one to aid her sisters during troubled times so why in the world had Akane run to Nabiki?

At least, that was what Ranma had guessed. She had become expert at reading tiny facial expressions. This was just another.

Ranma jumped up to her feet, leaving herself exposed once again. She had decided that Machin had better either get used to her apparel, or lack thereof, or get rid of her.

She seriously doubted he would get rid of her leaving him only one option.

She had found the day before that Machin was in the "forgetting" stage. The loneliest point of solitary confinement. The point where he began to forget what was once his everyday life. Forget the things and people that were most important to him.

She thought back to the events of the day before as they had rolled out and found them somewhat funny. It was very difficult to translate life stories through such different languages. They were both very thankful for the similarities in their gestures, whether they thought about it or not.

Ranma had drawn the image of a clock by scratching the image into a floor in order to ask how long he had been in this dark, dank, place where he lived.

It, however, did nothing but confuse him even more. He had never seen a clock so Ranma decided to go about it a different way. She drew the Sun and the Moon with an arrow pointing from and to both of them in a circle. Fortunately, this did help the words "time" and "day" click into Machin's brain. He understood the word and it's meaning.

He described the amount of time by putting a rock on the drawing and following the circular arrows three hundred and fifty six times and by holding up fingers until hit five with 1 hand and then let her count. He stopped when he hit three hundred and sixty five, or one year and then explained the word year to her. It was odd that they were the same amount of time between years.

Ranma comprehended this quickly. She was never much of a language expert but she was fluent in Spanish and was somewhat knowledgeable in English, and was good at learning a language with the learning disability such as incomprehension. One person who's life she had seen through had learned these languages so well that it had seemed like he was born in Mexico or England, by simply staying there.

Then Machin started a different motion of poking holes and counted the year number he had been in this place. They had had a lot of time so counting out almost a thousand years had been quick and easy.

Machin had been curious as to how long she had been alone. He was no expert but he could tell that the girl had been in solitary confinement much like himself for some time now. Her pale skin and the aged looking eyes that made her seem far more than she appeared, gave him all the clues he needed. He almost thought she had been Aes Sedai when she had first met him. But the elderly have that same look in their eyes just as the Aes Sedai did where he was from.

Ranma had been disappointed. She had done all that work to escape from her prison, only to find herself inside another one. Granted it was much larger gave more freedom but… It still wasn't freedom.

Machin Shin had named the place, "The Ways." It seemed that the intricate bridges were nothing more than connectors between great cities on his home world. Though it ran far deeper then just that, considering where she had come from.

Ranma took the rock and drew something else. Little stick figures, poorly drawn, but standing side by side in order to represent a family.

Machin looked at the drawing and quickly turned away, trying to hide a tear.

"What's wrong?" Ranma had asked. She could understand his sadness she supposed, but she had to make sure her speculation was correct. After a bit of prodding and using her "cute" face to cheer him up, at least a little, he pointed to his head and then shrugged. Then he shook his head left to right in a depressed manner.

Ranma understood. He was losing his memory but was still clinging to vague images. The same had happened to Ranma but it had occurred far later with herself due to the book, which at that time, had been a mirror.

Machin shin calmed down and his face brightened. He, too, was happy to finally have someone to talk to. Someone who wouldn't die or go insane upon nearing him.

Ranma was glad that she and Machin were making progress in breaking down the language barrier but she simply wished that they knew how to speak to one another quickly. At this rate it would be five years before they completely understood each other.

Now Ranma stood, awake in the morning darkness and strode out of the stone cottage that she had found, had been built into the bottom of one of the bridges. She lobbed herself to the top, onto the bridge and decide it was time to train. She couldn't let herself slacken.

The second she began her first kata she felt something horrible. Her ki reserves… they were at an all time low. She should have been perfectly fine by this time, even after using all that energy to destroy the pedestal. Something was sapping her ki. Sapping her very soul. Fortunately, she still had ample time to recover, billions of times more ki, and the Ki flows seemed to be recovering naturally. Something had taken some of her energy, however, and it was not the Ki blast at the pedestal.

A name drifted vaguely atop her mind. "Ninomiya Hinako." But she quickly forgot it. Now wasn't the time to reminisce.

She jumped back down onto the lower bridge where Machin's home was and found Machin sleeping in the arm chair that he had carved from the stone bridge. She grabbed him by the neck to wake him up quickly.

"What's going on!" She shouted.

"Huh?" He replied in her language. "I don't understand!" back in his own language.

"My power!" Ranma shouted.

Machin drew another blank. Ranma growled with frustration. How in the world to you get mad at someone who can't understand what your saying?

She held out her palm and summon a ball of ki making it the size of a basketball.

Machin shin widened his eyes in awe. So this was the power with which he had drawn from! This was why she was so incredible. How she had manage to muster so much power was unknown to him. He quickly discerned that it was not Aes Sedai magic that she had been using. It was raw life force. A regular banquet to his person-starved curse.

Meanwhile, Ranma tried to explain. She made it the ball smaller, in order to try to explain that she had less then normal energy. But it turned out that wasn't needed.

She looked at her ki ball and found the problem. Ki was seeping from the ball in flowing, watery streams of light and directly to the body of Machin Shin.

She dissipated the ball and backed away from him.

"Wha… What are you?" She asked, almost frightened.

Machin recognized the fearful voice and look in her eyes. Once or twice before he had met with a powerful warrior who had had enough soul for him to live through Machin's draining. Only those few times, though.

Machin backed away and turned, dropping his head in shame.

"Curse." He muttered.

The word, fortunately for Ranma, was the same in her own language.

"Curse?" She questioned.

She strayed closer to him and realized that he was no longer seeping her ki, nor had he been at all the previous night.

He had turned and was facing the wall. "It's the reason, I'm so alone." He said.

Ranma didn't understand what made her do it but she embraced him suddenly, rubbing her chest against his back, her arms wrapped around his neck. She knew all about the terror's of curses, even though she could barely remember that her current form was once her curse.

He slowly turned to her and accepted her embrace, crying into her bare shoulder… so happy… so very happy for a companion.

The question of her nakedness, didn't even arise.

* * *

Ranma arose from the stone-carved bed and shucked off the blanked, exposing herself to the darkness of the ways. The room was only lit when Machin used the embers, as he called them, to create a fire in the fireplace above. It let light leak down into his home, as well as decent heat. She didn't know how he had kept a fire here for so long. All she did know was that the odd red lumps in the fire were what kept it going. Apparently they had served Machin well for a millennium, and well they would serve for a thousand more, or so Machin hoped. 

She stood near the fire and lit it herself, memory of starting fires in ages past returning to her fingers helped her recall how to make the sparks that would ignite the lumps of red. The fire was lit and she was ready.

She began.

Machin awoke to the heat of the flames. He was startled horribly wondering what monstrosity could have possibly started his fire. But then he recalled his new companion and relaxed. He walked outside to find a sight so magnificent that he could barely believe it.

The girl whom he let sleep in his stone bed the night before, now stood dancing in the flames.

Ranma moved gracefully through one of the katas of her own making, jumping in and out of the fire fast enough to make her image dance in the flames. She had never done this before but a martial artist much like herself who's eyes through which she had seen had done something similar, though not quite as dramatic.

To Machin the girl seemed solid inside of the flames, dancing to the song of the crackling embers as they seemed to dance along with her. The flames followed her movements and seemed to envelop and swallow the girl in a clock of fire. He watched in awe of the spectacular performance.

Suddenly the girl in the flames disappeared and materialized beside them.

"Bodies roasting on an open fire." She thought. She was happy with her new technique. She had created it for the soul purpose of draining the fire to replenish her lost ki reserves due to Machin's curse. It worked like a charm.

Suddenly she noticed her host with a gaping hole in his face. His mouth hung open and he stood stock still.

She smiled at him but he made no movement. She had a funny feeling he might have fainted standing up though his eyes WERE still open.

"You can watch me if you want, hon." She said happily and took a stance, also of her own creation and began a much simpler kata.

He slowly nodded.

* * *

The weeks went by quickly. Ranma soon became accustomed to life with Machin. She had come to enjoy his company almost as much as life itself, even though the fights and arguing due to lack of comprehension were infuriating. She found herself peeking into her book less and less as time went by, and peeking at the man when he slept more and more. 

Akane had left Nerima. Gone, she said, to the mountains of Tibet. Her true destination, however, had been Jusenkyo. She had not felt her punishment, or lack of punishment, had been adequate for her crime. She had felt she deserved something… some… thing to make up for what she had done. So she decided to bring at least some of the hell that had been Ranma's life upon herself.

Ranma was saddened at having to watch her take the punishment but still couldn't decide whether or not she deserved it. But when Akane made it to the springs, she didn't hesitate to dunk herself in spring of drowned man. She truly wished to atone, in Ranma's eyes.

She thought she would feel more resentment towards her killer but her journey for atonement did nothing but make Ranma pity her and hope to see her again. And still, even through all her time, love her.

But even that was lessening. She found that she would much rather speak with Machin and anger and frustration, then watch Akane sink further into her depression.

Even so, she still clung to Akane despite her growing feelings toward Machin. This was the woman she loved and had loved for a length of time that most people couldn't dream of. She would not give that up without a fight. And due to her apparent immortality, it would be a long fight indeed.

After two months they had almost perfectly worked out each other's stories, even though Ranma STILL would not tell her actual age. Something she had picked up from watching many women's lives was to never reveal her age.

Since hers was somewhere around eighteen thousand years, she assumed that it would make Machin uncomfortable to know that she was THAT much older then him. She thought about it for a long time and found that she was exactly eighteen thousand and thirty eight, with six months and seven days.

Getting bored with finding her age, which was far to old for her to care about, she decided to remind herself of Machin's history.

Machin's story was quite interesting for one who had the time to care. He had been a young farm boy in the kingdom of Andor, and the great city of Hai Caemlyn. One day, whilst working the fields the princess had come to him. Apparently his tall, decently muscular frame, edged and roughened by daily work, had attracted the girl to him and she had invited him into her room.

He could not turn the princess down, or she would have guards kill him. He could not let the queen find out about the secret or SHE would have guards kill him.

So, stuck in the predicament he went along with the princess, who's name he had not told Ranma.

"Farm." and "Field" he explained by acting as if he were raking crops. Ranma comprehended quickly and also noted that apparently the place he was talking about was a third world country.

He slowly explained the words Andor, by drawing a world map, and then princess by drawing a crown. It seemed to him, somewhat annoying that he was forced to use sign-language to express words instead of the words themselves.

Ranma, meanwhile, decided that there was a good chance she was either FAR in the past, or possibly future, or on a different world. This map had absolutely no resemblance to her own world map.

He had been caught and, due to the queens advisor, been cursed as well by some form of magic that he had called Aes Sedai. Unfortunately, his curse had begun to affect the guards who watched his cell instead of only animals as was it's intention. When it was found that the curse could not be removed he was locked and warded into the ways where to that day he had remained, cursed to unwillingly leech souls every time one wandered into the ways. He had no need of water or food or drink. Only soul had taste to him now.

This was the basic story that had been conveyed to Ranma. She knew Machin would have tried to become FAR more detailed but they were still learning languages.

He had actually been hoping to die soon before he had met Ranma. He was nothing more than an innocent killer who was not innocent. He couldn't do anything about it. Every person he met he drained. He simply couldn't avoid it.

Ranma fortunately, had so much soul, that he had barely tapped the rim of her power to fill himself. Quite frankly he knew he should be afraid of her, but her playful, happy manner, no matter how dangerous, forced him to almost think of her as a child. She looked at everything new that she saw with a wonder and joy that only small children possessed. Her childish innocence almost drove him to lust over her at times but he always caught himself before he became too flustered by her looks, not to mention constant nakedness.

It had been a long time since he had seen anyone let alone a woman as beautiful as herself and he, unlike Ranma who never had one in the first place, still had a libido.

* * *

Two months gone by. Two months since Akane's battle with the Senshi. Four since Ranma's abduction, at least in the eyes of Genma Saotome. "Where is that boy? If he doesn't get home soon I'm going to be out of a home. What am I gonna do?" He thought frantically jumping from subject to subject in his mind. Aimlessly walking toward his room he accidentally bumped into someone he hadn't seen in quite some time. 

Akane was just returning to her room from the restroom when Genma bumped her. She had been crying often lately thought no one really understood why. Nabiki seemed to, but beyond the first hung she had given Akane upon her arrival, she avoided Akane like plague. When the others tried to comfort the distraught girl she would turn them away and return to the confinement of her room.

Genma looked at the young girl before him as she sat on the ground, disoriented from the hit. She slowly stood and Genma couldn't help but notice something… odd about the girl.  
Watching her stomach he realized that something that was generally unheard of in Nerima was occurring. Akane was getting… pudgy.

Considering all the action she had used to go through, and still went through in the dojo, that wasn't possible.

And this confused Genma. How was this girl getting to be so large?

No ideas came to mind so he walked on towards his room, after mumbling a sorry and helping the girl up.

Akane was amused by Genma's odd gaze. It seemed that he thought she was a puzzle or a great mystery that he couldn't figure out.

Personally she thought that his search was not unfounded. She was a murder case. She was evil, vile, and everything that made a bad person bad. She beat herself up during her sleep over this again and again, always waking, begging it not to be true. She was nauseous and drowsy when she awoke, or at least had been for the past three months. It appeared that she was over whatever it was that was causing her morning sickness, finally, though that still left one problem for her.

"Why am I getting fat?" She thought. She noticed it slowly, but it was definitely true. Her stomach had bulged recently. Just a little, but enough to be noticed as it appeared Genma had. She decided perhaps she was eating without thinking about it while watching the television, which she only did to make her forget about Ranma. It never seemed to work.

So she upped her training. From ten in the morning until ten at night she trained constantly, though why she decided to do this, she didn't know. Shampoo, her number one rival, had disappeared along with all other residents at the Nekohaunten. The place was closed and boards covered the windows.

Ukyo had somehow managed to befriend her in Ranma's absence. Akane felt horrible every minute she spent with the girl. Ukyo had given up on Ranma, wishing the two of them good luck, even if it had been the fake Ranma who had asked her to do it.

Which made her feel even worse.

Then she went and killed Ranma… What kind of payment is that?

The only time Akane had any respite from the pain, grief, and especially guilt of Ranma's murder was when she sparred with the "cute fiancée." Ukyo was good but however, no longer a match for her skill.

Suddenly she felt it again. The urge to go to the restroom yet again. It wasn't exactly scary but it was starting to become abnormal. Maybe she was sick? She had missed three periods now though she still couldn't discern why.

* * *

Two weeks into the last quarter of school. After this last quarter Akane would graduate. She sat in the room, as nervous as all the other students were for the first part on "Women" in this newly created class. For some reason, unknown to Akane, the class had been developed and had become required within her last semester. 

It annoyed her terribly that she had to get rid of the Food and Nutrition IIII class from her schedule to make room for this. And it drove her insane that she was still able to care about making food… all it did was hurt people. People she didn't want hurt.

It wasn't like she didn't know how sex worked so why did she have to take Sex Education? She had been taking the class for two weeks now and the day before they had finished the unit on men… Akane was joyous for that occasion.

Due to the fact that all school is boring, the teacher had decided that the best way to start the class today, with a boring lecture about pregnancy.

To Akane, boring, was something she wished it would've turned out to be.

"Does anyone know the first sign that a girl might be pregnant?" The teacher asked. No hands raised but it was a question all of them knew the answer to.

The teacher sighed, exasperated. "Come on I know someone here knows the answer."

Akane raised her hand. It was a simple question though questions in this room often went unanswered due to embarrassment. Akane was determined not to slip into depression and so, stayed actively participant in her classes. Even if she felt like a puppet while doing it.  
"Yes Akane?" The teacher asked.

"A missed period." She said. And suddenly it clicked.

The teacher watched as Akane's faced turned pale.

"Akane… is… something wrong?" The teacher asked.

"Uh… uh.. n-no sensei. Gomen… um… you were… saying?" Akane asked as she tried desperately to bring the color back into her face.

It convinced the teacher though her friends eyed her oddly.

She gulped. "I'm pregnant…I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant." The voice inside her head built.

"But I CAN'T be pregnant!" She thought back furiously. "I've NEVER.. I've… I've never done… THAT!"

The mantra began to repeat itself louder inside her head. "I'm pregnant…I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant."

"It's NOT POSSIBLE!" She thought angrily.

Three missed periods, and a forth coming up. Morning sickness, constant need to use the restroom. All the symptoms of pregnancy that she had easily known slipped right by her brain until now. They all fit.

Though she had not felt any food cravings as was also a symptom she knew, all of these fit too evenly with her condition. The morning sicknesses had stopped recently, just as they were usually supposed to during pregnancy.

"I'm pregnant…I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant." The mantra grew louder until her own voice of reason stating that she couldn't be pregnant was almost drowned out.

"And does anyone know the second sign that a woman might be pregnant?" the teacher asked.

Another student, whom Akane didn't know well, raised her hand. "Morning Sickness."

"I'm pregnant…I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant." The mantra grew even louder to the point where she was about to explode.

"Correct, usually. Remember cases vary from woman to woman. Some may experience food cravings first or some may not experience food cravings at all."

"I'M PREGNANT! I'M PREGNANT! I'M PREGNANT! I'M PREGNANT!" The voice in her head drowned out all but everything else.

"Teacher, may I use the restroom?" Akane asked, agitated and edgy.

"Uh… yes.. Akane. Go ahead." "Arigato." Akane sighed and quickly jumped up.

Mrs. Ayoka was no expert at reading people. However she eyed Akane suspiciously as she bolted out of the door. Upon her exit a few giggles were heard.

"Class dismissed." The she called. "Do what you want until next hour."

A cheer arose from the class. Mrs. Ayoka however, left the room in order to follow Akane.

She found the girl in a stall, muttering to herself in a repeated mantra. She opened the stall, which Akane had casually tried to lock but failed.

Akane sat on a toilet, curled into a ball, face buried in her knees.

She didn't look at Mrs. Ayoka. She wrapped herself tighter. Mrs. Ayoka watched as tears trailed down the distraught girl's legs.

"Akane… is there something you wanna talk about?" She asked as she close the stall door and stood down beside Akane.

"I'm… pre…" came her muttered response.

"Akane… did you only just realize this?" She asked.

Akane's head moved up and down. "I.. But… I didn't do.. I… I didn't do anything… I swea…"

"Shhh. It's ok… It's ok." Ayoka soothed. She had dealt with a girl like this one before.

"How long has it been since your last period?" She asked. Akane gulped.

"Ff… four.. months." she stuttered.

Ayoka was surprised… this girl was apparently quite clueless, or at least somehow didn't grasp, or didn't want to grasp the fact.

"Come on…" She said in a soothing, motherly voice, "We need to get you home."

Akane slowly raised her head and forced her tears down. Then she nodded and followed the teacher out of the room.

They never saw the girl sitting in the next stall. The girl who's eyes were as wide as the full moon.

* * *

Ranma lay in Machin's former sleeping bed, drinking in the night. Or at least she thought it was the night. She didn't know. She didn't care. She had not risen from the bed in almost a week she assumed. He was gone…. He was GONE. Her one and only companion, gone. Taken and mutated by her own power into that sanity-stealing evil… thing… 

Fourteen hundred years. Almost FOURTEEN HUNDRED long years had she and Machin Shin resided alone. They laughed, cried, danced, sang, taught and were taught by one another, wandered the ways for fifties and hundreds of years at a time, sparred, jumped, made up games, joked, and did every other possible thing that they could think of. But now that was over. If only she hadn't opened that wall again. It helped her once. She didn't need it to help her again. But this time it hadn't helped her. It left her alone.

She thought back to the events that led up to the insanity of her… of the… man… she…

She couldn't finish. Or hadn't been able to finish then. She simply couldn't l… lo… lo… like a man. She didn't understand why the thought made her so sick. She had been a man once she recalled though she had never told Machin. It had been SO long ago… so why couldn't she just give it up! Why couldn't she have just… given… up?

Now looking back she realized that she should have loved him. Given a second chance to see Machin she would jump his bones and steal him away, whether it made her sick to her stomach or not. She would force herself to love him… anything, ANYTHING he wanted, if just to see him again.

To see him… human again.

She hadn't had all the time in the world like she had thought. She should have taken the chance… but she stayed away. Distanced herself from him, clinging to her old love. And now he was gone. Now he was forever out of her reach.

She drifted into unconsciousness as her dreams began to replay both the joys, and horrors of her past.

Flash!

* * *

One year had gone by. She turned to her companion and smiled. He smiled back though he was obviously angry at something. She turned back to her project and continued creating her stone toy. She had developed a technique long ago for creating a ki, powered knife, originally intended for Pluto during her "revenge stage" as she had called it. 

Now she sat on the ground, whittling at the stone figure trying to perfect her image of the person. She was making a person, she knew. Though she couldn't exactly remember the girl's name. Even so, she felt that this person deserved respect.

It was a peaceful, serene figurine of a girl in a long dress with an apron tied above it. She stood straight as if posing for a picture.

Ranma finished the final touch and finally held up the finished product. "YATTA! I'M DONE!" She cried.

Machin applauded her and then returned to his own, far less skilled, whittling.

She stood and walked over to her collection and placed the figure along with the others. A long haired girl with weapons that seemed like sticks with balls on the end. Another long haired girl with a spatula of all things. A man with short black hair and a bandana, holding a pig. A man holding a Kendo stick with a large question mark sticking out of his head, and finally another straight figurine of a short haired girl with dollar signs scratched into her eyes.

She knew who the last one had been. Nabiki. She also recalled Kuno was the one with the Kendo stick and vaguely remembered… Ryo… Ryo… someone… held the pig. The others she had forgotten though apparently her subconscious had not.

She stood and bent over her companion, standing between him and the light from the fire.

"Hello!" She said happily in his language.

"Hello!" He replied back in the same tone in hers. "Heh heh… hey what's up? Why are you so… bubbly today?" He asked.

"Because!" Ranma replied sarcastically. "Today… you… have master my language. I hear-by officially say that language training is OVER! THANK GOD!" She cried as she fell onto the stone floor with a hard "THUMP."

He smiled.

"Same to you." Then returned to his whittling.

Ranma couldn't help but be a little disappointed but she knew that when he was paying one thing attention he would forget all else.

Especially now that he was trying to out whittle her.

She wished him good luck, but he would never win. "Ranma Saotome never loses!" She thought giddily.

Flash!

* * *

"Ranma… I… Ranma, I think that I… lo… love… you." Machin said. The poor fellow had been trying to say it to Ranma for almost five minutes, stuttering and continuing about how pretty the fire embers were. 

She frowned. "I… I'm sorry Machin… but I… I can't abandon… I…" She said slowly.

Machin looked down. "I… I understand." He quickly fled.

Ranma felt horrible after his departure. But she wasn't able to do anything when he was so sad like this. A: She was alone with just him around so they would talk it out anyways, eventually. B: She… simply couldn't abandon Akane. So long she had dreamed of holding the girl in her arms once more. So… very long.

She couldn't give up. She had told him how far she would go… how long she would wait to get back to her Akane.

If he thought ten little years could change that… he was coming much closer to being right. But it hadn't changed it yet… she hadn't changed yet, nor would she for some time.

She opened her book and looked in. Akane stood watching a pupil in her dojo. She resided deep within the mountains of China, seeking solitude and sometimes, wisdom from old elders.

She had become a legendary trainer, creating some of the worlds greatest fighters, so she heard. But she was so sad… every time Ranma opened the book he felt a sad flow from the twenty-eight year old woman.

And she was beginning to think that she always would.

Flash!

* * *

"DAMN You wench! Why! WHY WHY WHY! Why can't… Why can't you just LET HER GO? I've done nothing but loved you… tried and tried, again and again but you STILL push me away even after all this time! Eighty years after her time in your book ended!" Machin cried angrily. 

"I don't WANT to!" She screamed back, hugging her book to her chest. "I Loved her! I still and always will love her and YOU CAN'T CHANGE THAT!"

Machin backed away. Ranma hadn't never, in the close to one century they had been together, yelled at him like that.

Ranma slumped to the ground into a ball clutching the book like a lifeline, rocking herself back and fourth. "Ranma… I…"

"Leave me alone!" She cried. She fled as fast as she possibly could.

"RANMA! NO IF YOU GO OUT…! I'll never… see… you…" Machin watched the girls retreating form as it simply faded. She had slipped into her invisibility technique that she had named Umi-Sen-Ken, hiding from him.

"No…" He wailed. "No.. I'm… sorry… please… come back!" He screamed, begging her to hear him. If she wandered into the ways, he might never see her again.

"COME BACK! I'LL DO ANYTHING! JUST COME BACK!" He screamed as loud as he could.

Ranma heard. She had stayed near-by, knowing what would happen if she left his home. She could be forever lost from him… and she couldn't stand that. She couldn't take that loneliness again.

She let herself appear and he sighed in relief as he ran to, and hugged, his companion, crying softly into her shoulder.

"I thought… I thought you had left me… left me alone again…" He whispered.

"I'm sorry… I'm just not ready yet Machin… Please give me time. I still love her too much."

He sighed and slumped off her. "All the time you need." He said smiling, though tears still flowed down his fear covered eyes. "I just wish.. You had more love to give.. Then just to one."

He walked down into his home and lay in the most secluded spot there, only now trying to hide his shame.

Flash!

* * *

Ranma stood in the fire. Flames now flittered across her body but nothing they did could even touch a single cell of her ki-drunken skin. She danced within the fire, making herself look like an angel of flames. Her fiery red hair was covered in flames, though none harmed a single molecule of her being. 

As she danced, the fire danced with her. Expanding, contracting, pushing up, or pulling down by her will. She had begun to form the fire into a circle of flame spiraling around her and then let it fall back down.

And as she danced, her ki increased, absorbing energy from the flames. Her maximum reserves increased and her ki that Machin took for his draining replenished.

She didn't often do anything but dance in the fire any longer. She kept her perfected form of martial arts as perfected as it was but spent more time building her ki. With her ki she made amazing light shows and awe filled looking fireworks to light up the lonely place that was the ways.

Machin watched her.

He always watched her, especially right after having drained her with his curse, ever since six hundred years previous when she had almost run away.

She stepped away from the fire and smiled at Machin. He smiled back. It was an old ritual among them but they still did it, if only for the fact that it was something to do.

Three hundred years previous Ranma had begun to teach Machin Martial arts. He was now quite godly himself though he still could not fathom how she managed to let flames envelop and not even be touched.

His favorite thing to do was to create thirteen or fourteen balls of light and twiddle them around in impressive formations, every now and then, exploding one upon his companion and laughing along with her.

"So… are you alright Ranma?" He asked happily.

"Of course. I always feel refreshed after dancing in the flames though I still don't understand why. Maybe it's my version of a shower, ne?" She asked.

He laughed. He, of course, had not known what a shower was before he met her, however her book had told him. "Ha. Maybe, but what does that make MY version of a shower?"

"Um… Twiddling your balls around?" She asked.

Machin couldn't help but burst into laughter at this completely innocent comment from his companion.

"What?" She asked impatiently.

Machin, unlike Ranma who remained naked, still wore his old tunic, cloak and worn pants, Therefore, Ranma didn't often see anything that would be considered perverted. She had long since stopped needing to use the bathroom, as had he. Advantages of not eating for almost nineteen millenniums. Or in his case, twelve hundred years.

"So?" He asked suddenly, finally free from his fit of laughter.

Suddenly she realized the perversion of her comment and glared at him. "Shut up! I was talking about Ki!" She cried.

He laughed and entered his home. She followed and upon entering the room asked. "So… getting pretty old now aren't ya? What is it now? Twelve hundred today? I'm impressed. So what are you hoping to get for your birthday little one?" She asked.

He hated when she called him that but she couldn't resist doing it on every birthday he had. He glared at her but the smiled.

"I was hoping for a girl… interestingly long and uncouth red hair, large breasts, and a large bottom to go with that." He joked.

She glared at him, this time angrily, though more depressed then angry somehow. "Machin.. Please… I." "Stop right there." He said firmly. "Just a joke. Just a joke…" He then soothed.

She smiled and pulled out her gift.

It appeared to be an ordinary walking stick. Actually, it was an extraordinary walking stick as far as the craftsmanship on it went. But the real treat of it was what it did.

"This… is a soul, holder." She said simply. "Huh?" He asked. He had loved it, considering how long she must had spent, A: Keeping it secret and B: Simply making it. But now he was confused by what she meant.

"I mean that next, and every time that you have to draw my ki from me, you won't have to. You can draw from this instead!" She stated proudly.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" He cried.

"Mmhmm! All I have to do is fill it with my Ki, or hell you could do it with your own ki before you feel the need to drain me, then just drain this of the ki in it, and I can refill it!" Ranma said.

Machin got teary-eyed again. "I… you… you don't know how much this means to me Ranma-san…"

"Yes.." She replied. "Yes I do."

Flash!

* * *

One thousand years from her own prison… one thousand years in her new one she wandered aimlessly. Hoping that his fire and home would pop up, just around the corner. 

Two hundred years previous she had run again. This time, she had succeeded. And now she would do anything to be with her companion again.

She wandered from area to area, every now and then, finding a door that she could not open.

Suddenly she saw a figure. It was tall even next to Machin, who was no slouch in the height department. Her lit magic ember that she held in her hand laminated the figure as she came close.

"Fascinating!" He said suddenly. "Your holding fire in your hand and it isn't burning you? Are you Aes Sedai?"

She understood nothing of what the incredibly tall looking… thing had said to her. He was human-ish by most accounts.

"What are you?" She asked.

"Oh! You speak in that tongue." He said, suddenly, in a language she understood. "I'm terribly sorry. It's just been such a long time since I've had company.

"What are you?" She repeated. "I'm an ogier dear child, didn't your parent's tell you about us? And without one of us around how did you even get in here? It shouldn't be possible to do without an Ogier. Now… would you please let me see that little fire in your hand?" He asked motioning for her hand. She pulled away.

He sighed. "What is your name, child?" "Ranma." She said as she edged around him.

"Ranma? What an interesting name. You humans are so curious. Well. I am Fulen, son of Haren, son of Theode

"Pleasure.. To meet you…" Ranma muttered. She refused to act like the giddy little child she wanted to considering all of the interesting things the ogier carried with him.

"Why are you here?" She questioned.

"Well I'm lost, same as yourself correct? I was a fool and never learned how to read the direction's on the bridges. So I'm stuck wandering the ways till I meet the soul stealer or until I find my way out. Anyways, what are you thinking child? Why in the world are you naked? Come here come here I think I brought along some human clothes, though why I forget." He told her.

She knew there had been directions on the bridges though she had not been able to figure them out at all even in the thousand years she had been here.

She strayed forward to the peculiar monstrosity. It was odd that one so big would be so obsessed with books. It looked like he held ten books and fifteen pairs of clothing in his pack. He pulled out a pair of brown pants with a dark green shirt. They were nothing next to her silk of old, but they would do to keep herself from embarrassment. She quickly put them on and found them to be quite comfortable, much to her surprise.

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"Oh about four years." He replied happily.

"That's ALL! You mean… you mean you've seen the out side! You've seen free air?" She clutched his collar. Without noticing she let her ki lift herself to the height of the ogier.

"What do you mean child? Surely you haven't been in here for too long. Why your nothing but a tiny lass, hardly able to marry, even by human standards!

She chuckled darkly as she fell back to the floor.

"I'm probably the oldest person you'll ever meet." she said in the same dark tone as her chuckle.

He felt sweaty suddenly, and almost a little afraid of the child.

"Right.." He said quickly. "Right, ok. Well. I suppose that you have had adequate food supply? After all if you've been in here for long enough not to remember the outside you must've been in here long enough to need a good meal?" He asked.

"I… I don't eat." She said.

"Oh really? Well here, try a bite of this." He said holding up a small square cracker.

"A cracker?" She asked.

"Mmhmm. Let's see if you like this at all.

She took the thing slowly and put it to her mouth with care. When it touch her lips she felt like she was in heaven. It was as if god himself had come down and touched her tongue. She gobbled the cracker up and begged the Man, ogier, whatever, for more.

"Settle there lass! It's like you've never ad' a cracker before!" He cried.

"I told you I haven't!" she replied as she desperately snatched the next cracker from his hands and inhaled it.

"Hmm…" He said. He held out another cracker and as she was about to snatch it she suddenly felt an enormous lurch in her abdomen. She fell over to her side and rasped. "You… poisoned me?" She asked.

"I did no such thing!" He cried.

He took the girl, and picked her up, placing her face up across his lap. He felt her stomach and was amazed by it's lack of… substance.

"You… really haven't eaten… in… a very, very long time have you?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"Well… it was that cracker. You are not able to eat much at all due to the fact that you have not eaten in a very long time and your stomach cannot take the pressure.

Suddenly he forced his hand onto her stomach. She coughed a little but was surprised when some how she vomited the cracker.

"Don't eat anything an just survive the same way you have been." He said.

Her stomach did feel better. "I… ok…" She couldn't help but desperately want some more of the godly tasting, crackers.

"So? Should we travel together?" He asked suddenly.

She slowly nodded. "I… yes… I think I would like… a friend?" She asked.

"A friend." He agreed.

For two days Ranma and Fulen traveled together. Though they spoke little. Fulen often was writing in a notebook. She was confused by how he carried so many items. The man had enough food to last for several years to come.

And suddenly she saw it. It was the house. It was Machin's house! She was HOME! After two HUNDRED years she was HOME!  
"MACHIN!" She cried as she ran ahead.

"Ranma?" Fulen asked as he watched the girl suddenly seem to phase away. He noticed a slight blur moving towards the rickety under bridge and he assumed that that was Ranma.

"RANMA! YOU? YOUR.. YOU CAME HOME? You came home!" Fulen heard a man shout.

Ranma jumped into Machin's arms while he swung her around in circles before setting her gently on the ground.

"I… I thought I'd never see…" Suddenly he trailed off.

Ranma knew what was happening. His curse.

"Oh no… Machin, where is..?"

"In my room! On the bed!" He screamed. She ran to get the walking stick and ran back as fast as possible. Only to find something she truly wished to have never seen.

Machin stood, sucking the very soul away from Fulen.

"NO! Machin! Stop!" She cried.

She jumped in the way and tried to intercept the power of his curse with the walking stick, or even with herself but it was no use.

Fulen screamed long, loud, and painfully.

When it was over, he twittered. He lay, pale, ashen, and shocked. He slowly looked up, twitching the entire way, to find Ranma above him, concern and desperation on her face.

"I… I thought… we were… friends?" He asked.

And with that, he fell still.

Ranma's sobs for her short-term friend lasted long into the night.

Flash!

* * *

Ranma sat cross-legged, concentrating with all her might on the wall. She had broken it once before and upon doing so, amazing things had happened, such as her escape. She desperately wished to let her and Machin free of this prison. 

She wished to go home. She wanted to be a normal person again. To remember the taste of salty crackers and chips. To recall the feeling of pizza burning her upper mouth. To taste an Okonomiyaki again. But tasting wasn't the only thing. She wanted to jump off a mountain with a string tied to her toe. She wanted to fly in an airplane and swim through an ocean. She wanted to see the White Tower that Machin described for her, and the great city of Caemlyn. She wanted… so much did she want.

The wall was breaking. This time the process was much faster. She broke it in the same place where she had originally broken the barrier between her and the shimmering light. But this time she would know what she was doing.

She didn't know how she mentally banged on the wall, but she did. Inside her head was her own self imaged forcing down this barrier. And it was working.

"Ranma." Machin muttered interrupting her efforts.

"Mmhmm?" She asked.

"The draining is coming up soon." He said quickly.

"Yes… that's true." She replied.

"I… I broke the walking stick you gave me Ranma. I'm… really sorry." He muttered as if trying to keep her from hearing.

She sighed. She didn't expect it to last for forever but it had lasted for a very long time. Seven hundred years was no small amount of time. Or at least… shouldn't be.

"Ok… Well. I'm almost done. I will make a new one after this." She said quickly returning to her mental exercises.

"Ok… um… if you wouldn't mind sparrin' um… for a little while." He muttered again. He had always hated asking her to spar because it made him feel so bad when he lost so easily to her. But he wanted to get better so he did it despite his pride.

She smiled, knowing this. "Sure thing… Machin…"

He smiled back and was about to leave when he suddenly felt something.

Ranma did it. "YATTA!" She cried. The wall broke and the light seeped through and into her. Suddenly the entire world seemed filled with color like she had never known. As if everything were coated in bonfire like she was when she danced. She felt so very ALIVE, and so powerful.

She moved the light that had welded itself onto her in a swaying pattern, forming lines, discerning them as air and earth.

The stones in the house began to pop in and out of the walls randomly. Wind swept up and hit Machin's face, surprising him too much for words. It had been a very long time since he had felt wind. He absorbed it, and melded with the wind. His eyes shut, like Ranma's and he drank in the power of the winds.

Ranma was in heaven. Completely unaware of what was happening outside of her closed eyes, she drew the lines of power that were workable within this place. Lines of Air and Earth were only ones that seemed possible. There was another type of lines but she was afraid to tamper them. They seemed too delicate to be moved, no matter the ecstasy it would cause her to move them.

Machin suddenly felt it. The light that was creating the wind came from Ranma. That all powerful loving tender glorious light. It gripped him. His eyes were open again, but this time they were not kind. They lusted for the power his companion held.

He came to her and began to drain her soul.

Ranma suddenly realized that something was wrong. She opened her eyes and found Machin was draining her soul. But it was thousands of times faster than usual. Her ki reserves were depleting rapidly. She felt powerless to his onslaught. But then she remembered the light. She took lines of air and wrapped them around him forcing him off herself, immobilizing him. He struggled desperately.

"The Light…" he moaned. "Must have… light."

"Machin?" Ranma stuttered staring at his power-hungry face.

"GIVE ME LIGHT!" He cried.

He struggled furiously against his bonds. And suddenly he broke free.

He absorbed her soul. And the light in her along with it, and then instantly halted in his actions. He held his head and began screaming.

"Raaaa… Raanm…. Ranma.. Run..! Run… away!" He wheezed though it was his voice.

"Ma…chin?" "RUN DAMNIT! GO!" He cried. Letting go of the magnificent feeling of the light, she turned and fled. Upon getting to where she could see his home clearly she noticed something.

She felt a breeze. She had not ever felt a breeze within this place before. It felt cold… tingly and almost, stinging.

She swore and stared at the little home built into the bridge.

And suddenly, a great black smoke arose from the house, dampening the firelight until the house was no longer visible.

She lit an ember that she had taken in her hand and it flared to life, showing her about a twenty foot radius.

And there before her, stood a tall shadowed figure. "Machin? Shin?" She asked.

"Taint… the light was tainted… evil… muck… scum…the wind… the power… the light and the taint… I am Machin Shin… I want… your light… your taint.. Is beautiful like you once were to my eyes."

He rambled on and on about things she didn't understand. How could something so wonderful as that light be tainted? How?

Suddenly the creature lunged for her.

She dodged into the air where she hovered. The action took effort due to her lack of energy. .

"Machin! Listen to me!" She cried.

But he no longer heard. Suddenly the form of the figure distorted and took the shape of a black husk, much like a cloud.

It encircled her and again she felt the drain.

"You give no light… give the light or I will take blood… sweet honey blood. Blood that drips all over… blood for light… blood for light…"

Ranma felt herself weakening. She did the only thing she could do.

She let herself sink into an old technique… a technique older then she herself.

"Soul of Ice." She muttered.

It was a variation technique that turned her ki from it's normal flowing form, into that of ice. The ki was stuck inside her body and she would not let it out. She, to the demon form of Machin Shin, had died.

Machin left her for dead on the ground, muttering incoherently about blood dripping. Hurriedly, he fled the scene having thought that he had sucked out all her remaining soul. It was obvious that, this was not a very smart Machin Shin. In his normal state, Machin would have known that she had far more energy then just that.

Ranma woke from her self induced coma several hours later. Machin was gone… and the fire was visible again.

"Machin… what have I done to you?" She asked herself.

She decided she would journey to find him. She packed up the fire embers, her book and a few of his personal belongings, and tools to remake the walking stick.

Dim…

* * *

She opened her eyes. She now lay at home, hoping against hope that it had all been just a dream. But that wasn't it. It was what had happened. What she had foolishly done. Somehow, right under her nose, she had created a monster. 

The holy light which she used attracted him so she dared not use it any longer. She had found that out four weeks previous when he had come inches from completely sapping her soul. She had been forced to dance in the fire for almost a week to recover.

And it appeared that he no longer recognized her.

It had been two weeks since she had found home and stayed in it, and one week since she had been out of the stone bed. It had been a very short journey all in all. Machin could travel the ways at speeds even she dreamed of. Apparently he had taken the form of a wind. Of a dark wind. A black wind.

And the words that came from his mouth-less form were no less then those of insanity and madness.

And she was alone. All alone… again.

Tears freely flowed from her eyes. As she withdrew her book. It appeared that was all she had… now…

* * *

Pluto desperately searched the time streams. In every single one Ranma had not appeared. Nothing in the time stream's current path had been affected. Ranma, however, was simply gone. Ranma had created a rift in the dimension that Pluto herself, had created. She left through a portal and then the voided dimension collapsed, leaving nothing. 

Ranma was either dead, or inside of a completely different universe.

Pluto was not worried. She was not worried…

She was downright terrified.

"If Ranma returns… I will kill him." She thought. "I will have no choice."

She began to prepare.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Well. I can't say this chapter was all that hard to write. However, I was forced to rewrite it about four times. Each time I felt that it didn't fit right. In the first three attempts I had Ranma freed. But I realized that that wasn't going to happen in this chapter. It was just too difficult. 

The Show-Not-Tell Rule kicked me so very, very hard in the ass here. Each rewrite was bad due to this rule. I kept trying to tell the story through a narrative instead of as it was happening. But finally I found a way to show the events yet, skip through them fast enough to keep the story in line.

Whadja think? Whadja think! Tell me Tell me! Review me!

Until next chap. Lata!


	5. Whole Again

_And one fourth year before the Dragon rose, did she appear, for a time. She who's hair was red as blood, eyes, blue as the midday sky. She who Dances the Flames. And with him did she tread for a turn of the moon. Destroying all barring her way. Then she left to the first Earth, finally, for her revenge. For her Love. And the flames of the second Earth wept for her absence. And for one year she did not return…_

_Exert from "Flame Dancer and Shadowkiller", A novel by Alondre Saotome,  
Scholar of the history of the "Two Earths,  
In the year 2214 A.D.(After Death - Christian Calendar)  
Year 206 A.M. (After Merge - Calendar of the Two Earths)

* * *

_

**Chapter 5: Whole Again

* * *

**

"Why? Why do I live SO long? So long alone?" Ranma asked herself. Today was special. It was a day that more than likely had only occurred possibly four or five times to any human in all of eternity.

"My birthday." She thought. "It's my birthday."

She wondered often why she kept on living. A normal human, she knew, would die in about seventy years. So SOMETHING must be keeping her alive, without food, water, or any nourishment of any kind. And now she was certain that it was indeed her birthday. She had been anticipating this one… it wasn't just ANY birthday. And if whoever was ruling her life were to let her out, it would be on THIS day.

The normal and sleepy temperature of the ways caressed her as she walked on… never knowing where… never caring. She found a spiral at the end of one of the bridges and took it upward. Then she slowly made her way to another bridge. Endlessly she followed new bridges ever hoping she would, someday, find an exit.

She looked into her book and into the life of Setuma Ayo. Dreaming, waiting, hoping, that one day she could feel his kind of pain. A pain that involve being with another instead of being with no one.

"Come on." She demanded. "Come on! Get up! Go out! Look around in the shops! Show me someone! Anyone! Please!" She now begged of the book.

The man rolled over on his couch trying to find a more comfortable position for sleeping. His eyes now faced the yellow couch, instead of his large front room window with people walking by, as if spitting in Ranma's face.

She began to snivel. She didn't cry often but the hell she had been subjected to for the past nearly six hundred years had begun to build up on her again. So alone. So very alone. She remembered a time when she did not have to protect herself from the demon of the ways. A time when she found lost people instead of lost carcasses. A time when.. She was almost… happy. Now that was gone.

"Sniff." Came another snivel. She didn't want to cry. But here she sat. On her twenty thousandth birthday. And she spent it… alone.

"WHY DO YOU HATE ME?" She shouted toward the sky, then, in her anger, she slammed her body into the bridge floor, compressing the stone on top of itself almost three feet deep. It was a weak hit but her anger was conveyed.

Her tears flowed freely as lay on her stomach and buried her face in her arms, soaking the old and worn, green leather shirt. But she could not help herself. She wanted this torture to end.

"Twenty thousand years! What have I done to deserve this? I AM THROUGH!" She cried. "I want no more of your games, Time Senshi, God, Creator… whoever you are keeping me here. I don't remember you… but if you can hear me… I'm… done. I'm going to end it all now!" She exclaimed, with her head thrown back, defiantly facing the darkened sky.

Suddenly a sound touched her ears. It was voices. Live ones. Something she had heard few times. And every time she tried to protect them she ended up almost dead, waking to the pleasant sight of their corpses.

She strayed toward the voices. Upon finding their users, she was no less then astounded.

"… Thank you…. Thank you so much… For another chance…" She whispered. She didn't know who she was thanking but whoever it was that sent these people here, she was glad for them.

"People. I have to save them from Machin. These ones WILL NOT DIE!" She assured herself. This was no chance encounter. Someone was forgiving her. This wasn't a coincidence. It was a chance for redemption…

The people seemed oblivious to the girl two bridges away.

* * *

"Akane. Why are you home so early?" Kasumi asked as Akane guided herself to the stairway, edgily. "Akane?" Kasumi questioned. 

Upon closer a closer inspection Kasumi realized there were tears in Akane's eyes. That was easy to figure out when suddenly the girl collapse against her shoulder.

"Akane? Come on… I thought you were over this?" Kasumi asked in her peaceful manner. "Ranma… you did the best you-"

"Something… different has happened." Interrupted a voice Kasumi barely recognized from behind Akane. But she recalled it enough from her days in high school to connect the face with the name.

"Ayoka Sensei." She said quickly. "What has happened to my sister?" She asked as Akane still cried into her shoulder.

"She… found out something… odd today." Ayoka replied.

"Odd? How so?" Kasumi asked, trying to pry the story from the tall teacher.

"I'm pre…!" Akane shouted but suddenly backed down. "I'm… Kasumi I'm… preg.. pregnant." She finished in almost a whisper.

Kasumi gasped. "Akane! You… I.. I thought you knew better than…!" Kasumi scolded in a motherly way but was interrupted. "I DIDN'T!" Akane cried. "What… do you mean?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm saying… I've… never… done… that before. I'm a… I've never done that." She said.

"She says she is a virgin. She fervently demanded that I believe her that she has never done it with anyone." Mrs. Ayoka told her.

Kasumi paused for a moment, trying to absorb all the information being put in front of her. Then, she re-embraced the girl whom she had practically raised.

"Akane, Akane, Akane. This is just the type of thing I should've expect to happen to you." She almost sighed.

"Kasumi! Don't… I… didn't. You believe me don't you?" She asked, with a tone on the edge of desperation.

Kasumi let her go and walked toward a large rock nearby the pond. She sat down and looked towards Akane. "Oh yes I believe it. Perhaps it's like the virgin Mary. Hmm. If Kami-sama were to choose anyone to bear a son or daughter again for him he would choose you." Akane blanched and almost face faulted. "Your.. Your kidding me, right?" She asked skeptically. Her desperation had been replaced by shock at the stupidity of her older sister. She had been raped and then Shampoo had erased her memory so she would seem less attractive to Ranma… while… Ranma was kidnapped…?

No that couldn't be right. It had to be SOMETHING involving Shampoo! This was right up her alley!

But Kasumi's idea?  
That was just plain retarded.

"Kasumi… are you… serious?" Akane asked.

Kasumi looked at her and said, "Knowing you and Ranma? I'll believe anything."

Neither of them noticed Mrs. Ayoka stagger away from the dojo grounds clutching her mouth in an effort not to laugh out loud at the stupidity of Akane's elder sister. What in her right mind led her to THAT conclusion?

* * *

Akane woke early, even for her. Normally she was up before dawn jogging. Today she woke up simply from the sheer length of time she had been aloud to sleep. She recalled the events of the previous night perfectly. She had just walked out of the bathroom. The pregnancy test she had just taken had read positive… just as she had expected. 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY BABY IS PREGNANT!" Soun cried.

"Just what I said father. Your daughter has somehow become pregnant. Yet she insists that she has never done anything with a man." Kasumi said to her father though her eyes were on Akane, as if daring her to prove her story.

"It's true." Akane sighed ignoring her sister.

"Well, who is the father?" Soun demanded. Soun never was one for tact or for brains in general and he showed it often.  
"Didn't you hear a word Kasumi just said?" Akane asked angrily. "I don't know who the father is! For all I know the IS no father!" Akane cried.

"No… father?" Soun asked as he tried to comprehend.

"But my guess…" Akane went on. "Is that Shampoo did this and use that shampoo of hers to make me forget I was raped."

Soun turned into a blazing demon of rage, anger, and hatred. "Shampoo will pay!" he cried and suddenly blasted a hole through the wall as he dashed off toward the Nekohaunten.

Akane sighed. "Daddy… I don't KNOW if it was them!" Akane said to no one in particular.

"Baka Daddy." Nabiki said condescendingly as she walked down the stairs.

"Hmm." She said suddenly. She approached Akane and put a hand on her stomach but Akane quickly flinched away.

"Nabiki!" She shouted. She seemed like she had been about to continue but Nabiki interrupted.

"What are you gonna name it, Akane-chan?" Nabiki asked.

"I… uh… I, I… uh." Akane suddenly stammered. She hadn't thought about that at all. At some point she wandered up to her room and into her bed, even though it was three in the afternoon. She felt tired and no one dared disturb her.

Now it was four in the morning. Almost before Kasumi awoke in the mornings but not quite. "Kasumi…" Akane said as she wandered into the kitchen scanning it for her apron-clad elder sister. "So Father returned yesterday." Kasumi said upon hearing her name. Akane swiveled her head around to find Kasumi on her knees looking into a small cabinet.

"He said that the Nekohaunten was closed. The amazons are gone.

"Gone?" Akane exclaimed. "Just… gone? That's it? They've given up on Ranma and just left without a word?"

"Seems so." Kasumi replied, her voice, muffled by the cabinet her head resided in. "Here it is!" She suddenly exclaimed.

She pulled forth her face, both her arms, and a tiny book.

"Baby pictures Akane." She said. She flipped the book open and show-cased a few. "Here's Nabiki." She said pointing. "And here is you and… hmm. That looks like Ranma. Here is me." She kept flipping through the pages until she finally reached the end of it where many more blank pages were left to be filled.

"Here you go Akane. I bet you will need it more than me…" Kasumi said.

"But… I… Kasumi…" Akane protested.

"Take it Akane. It's a gift. Please take it." Kasumi interrupted, shoving the photo album into her hands.

"I… Thank you." She replied, noting the tears in Kasumi's eyes. "Kasumi, are you-"

"I'm fine!" Kasumi snapped, scaring Akane speechless, then dashing away from the kitchen into the laundry room. Kasumi never snapped.

Akane left the kitchen. She didn't know what to do… so she decided. "It's time for a jog." And with that she left the house running.

* * *

Akane walked toward the school with an awkward set of strides and runs. She found herself tiring more easily. Not to mention purposely. She wasn't going to let a baby die because she was reckless with her running. Her jog had lasted as long and far as usual but somehow, knowing that being pregnant was what was making her so tired comforted her. She was more tired then usual and had been having a harder time making the run each day. 

She was thankful for a good reason why.

As she reached the gate she found a not-so-peculiar sight.

"Akane Tendo…" Kuno said as she walked forward.

"I'm not in the mood Ku-" But he interrupted as usual.

"Akane Tendo! I hear rumor of your impending Motherhood and I do beseech you to tell me who hath laid their hand upon your person?" Kuno said in the most civilized tone he had ever used.

"I… I… you… you WHAT!" she cried.

"Fairest Akane. Please tell me who the ruffian is who laid their seed within you!" Kuno demanded more impatiently. "Was it Saotome? That wretched cur! I thought even he had more honor than this. First sending the green haired witch to spirit away the pigtailed girl and now this… If it was I will-!" Kuno's speech was halted when Akane's fist collided into his head. She had been so sickened by his comment that she could not even let him come close to finishing THAT speech.

Then she quickly walked toward him and picked up the dazed and confused man by his collar. "How do you know about that!" She exclaimed holding his head at her own eye level.

"Akane-sama… surely you know about the rumors. They have been talking since yesterday and I couldn't help but overhear. I'm… sorry I was not present to protect you." He said sullenly. "But I am afraid I cannot give my love to… even someone as beautiful as you, you have been… spoiled."

Kuno turned, snatching his collar away from her and walked away.

Akane glowered…. Burned… heated with a rage that she had never felt before.

Suddenly her entire body was engulfed in a bon fire. Her senses were enhanced like never before. She could see Kuno, the way his downcast eyes hid a few tears. Could hear his small pouts. Could hear people gathering to her back and left. Could hear whispering, about her and her bulging stomach… about her being pregnant and Ranma being the father or someone else. Rumors spreading like wild fire. Whispers, all loud as train horns on her ears. Whatever this sensation… this overpowering feeling was, it was overwhelming her. It tantalized her. It made her wish to grab more of it than she already had.

She felt deeper. There was more of it. More of…

"Saidar." The word floated to her lips.

And suddenly an enormous ball of fire leapt from her finger tips, flew towards Kuno, and exploded. He flew through the sky.

"I'M SORRY AKANE TENDOOOO!" was the cry he faded into the distance with.

Akane turned and faced the crowd.

"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!" She cried, her voice, echoing through the courtyard.

They stopped instantly, all silent. All eyes on her. "I… I didn't do anything with anyone!" She cried, and dashed for the school entrance.

She didn't know how.. But as she ran, she felt her newfound awareness slip away. Suddenly the entire world felt grey and silent.

* * *

Sailor Pluto was not in the best of moods. She didn't know what had gone wrong but she knew that it had started with Akane's pregnancy. 

She had erased Akane's memory of her… "alone time" with Ranma. So she was simply, or at least had simply been, a pregnant, virgin. To afraid of what she would find to check on the "virgin" part of her description. Among other things. So many plot holes Pluto knew she had forgotten to cover. Now that Akane's memory had been wiped of her recent love for Ranma, she still somehow considered him a jerk. Odd considering who her child was proven to be.

Now she had a child. A daughter, clinically proven to be Ranma's.

Pluto looked in on Ranma's prison. Of course, Ranma was gone now. She had escaped at about the same time Akane's baby had been born. Yet of course, Ranma would know nothing of her daughter. The timeline Pluto had showed to Ranma in the book had been the most probable one. But unfortunately the most probable had not been the outcome…

The next bad thing that happened... Pluto thought for a moment on all that had gone wrong. She supposed the next bad thing to happen to her was the fact that one of the future Crystal Tokyo's Viceroy's who would later rule the Northern half of the America's, had simply dissappeared from her timelines...

No matter what she did Pluto couldn't fathom the reason for his dissappearance. She could find no trace of his death anywhere and had not expected this in any of the timelines. However this was no more than a minor detail. Future Viceroy's could be replaced.

Akane was now certain someone had wiped her memory. She did not remember doing anything with Ranma but it had been clinically proven that she HAD. Therefore, she fortunately assumed amazons. But since Pluto had made the deal with Shampoo that Ranma was gone, the Amazon's had returned to China.

Leaving Akane to puzzle over what was going on. Wonder why the Amazon's would wipe her memory and leave. It was only a matter of time before Akane began to puzzle out what had truly happened. She was impressed the girl had not suspected the Senshi yet.

Then there was always the impending return of Ranma. Looking back through his life, Pluto realized that it was quite possible she had meddled with someone a little bit out of her league. He had succeeded, constantly, where hundreds, thousands of others, failed, constantly. And if he was still sane after all the time she had left him inside that voided realm, then he would return.

And it would be a return of vengeance. She HAD to prepare herself better. She HAD to begin to train the Senshi. It appeared there would be one more great enemy left to cope with…

She suddenly did something that she had not in quite a long time.

She sensed Saidar.

"Saidar." She murmured. "Now you return to me… in what will surely be the darkest hour the creation of Crystal Tokyo has ever known."

She smiled. It had been a very long time since she had been in so much need that Saidar would appear to her. It was a bar she supposed. She was only capable of embracing that tantalizing light, or even sensing it, when she was in dire need. Saidar knew when to come and go…

It also told her how much of a horrible mistake she had made, that it was coming to her now.

She remembered Queen Serenity could channel Saidar, whenever she chose, at will. That was why her line had become queen in the first place.

She wondered why she had never embraced it with Galaxia. Or Pharoh 90 or anyone else the Senshi had faced recently. Apparently she had not needed it enough then. If it was returning to her now that something must be going horribly wrong.  
"The Senshi WILL be ready. Thank you Saidar." She murmured again and then surrendered to it's power and let it's flows of boundless light envelop her.

* * *

A shout occurred. 

Moiraine Sedai, Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, had good ears and she knew it. As such did her warder Lan al' Mandragoran.

Two of the farm boys behind her had not heard it. She didn't expect them to in all honesty… they were only farm boys. Yet it appeared the third one, Perrin Aybara had heard it. And she supposed that Nynaeve and Egwene might have.

Rand, Mat, and Loial did not.

Though at this point it didn't matter, especially considering that, whether they had heard it or not, they weren't doing anything about it.

Someone was here, with them. Though who, and how, Moiraine had no idea. But they were definitely being followed.

"Watched." She muttered. Watched was the word she needed. The shout came from far away, however a shout, of any type, could attract the Black Wind. If she wanted anything it was not that.

"Be silent." She ordered. The babble of the two boys and ogier ended quickly though they seemed annoyed.

Perrin Aybara. The boy was rather large and burly, hefting around that axe with a decent ease for the look of him, when needed. His eyes had recently taken a shade of golden though why, Moiraine was still not certain. He had been a blacksmith, or at least an apprentice blacksmith before she had come to the Two Rivers region and taken them. Now he was simply trying to survive.

Matrim Cauthon. Skinny and somewhat of a coward. Though she could see he had become more brave during their recent time apart he still seemed like a cat. Curious but easily frightened. Though if backed into a corner, Moiraine assumed that he would be down right powerful as far as men went. That cursed dagger from the wretched castle Shadar Logath, would also aid him. Even so, he was a blundering fool.

Rand Al' Thor. He was inconceivably tall for a Two Rivers farm boy, especially when compared with her own short, lithe frame, but he had been raised there, as he claimed. He now held a certain poise that he had not held when she first met him in his small backwater village, though he would not dare admit it and nor would she. Among all of these people that she was responsible for, he was the one who had changed the most since leaving home.

And even that was still quite little. Two Rivers folk were as stubborn as the worst of mules.

It was true though, that all of them had changed, however slightly, with their departure from their home. And now here they were, traveling to Fal Dara through the ways. And she was spooked.

She did not become frightened often. Yet she knew the terror that walked the Ways, and anything that could draw it's attention should be immediately silenced.

"Quickly Loial! We must hurry!" She cried, while making her voice hushed, now somewhat frantic. Lan, her warder, noticed the edginess in her voice. Though the rest thought she seemed as calm as normal. They were practically children in any case and she could hardly expect more of them save for Loial.

The ninety year old ogier should have been considering her a child. However he seemed to have not heard the shout, or caught the urgency in her voice, any more than her childish companions had.

"Yes Moiraine Sedai. I am going as fast as I can." Loial murmured for what must have been the ten or eleventh time. They walked on, ever faster. Ever more wary of the danger that could come upon them instantly.

Or at least Moiraine did.

Rand was downright bored. The Ways and everything that involved them, including their making which Loial, the ogier, had insisted on babbling about for the first day of the two day trip, was as boring as things came. He had heard time and time again of the terror of the Ways. Yet nothing he had seen so far had made him believe that something so incredibly horrible walked this dank and shady set of bridges and stairways.

They were coming up on the end of their journey through the ways. Soon they would reach Fal Dara. A disappointment to Rand all in all. He had wanted to see the White Tower. The great city of Tar Valon, only paralleled in greatness by Caemlyn; the city from whence they had entered the Ways.

Caemlyn was the Capital city of the realm of Andor. And, in the words of an Andorman, Caemlyn paralleled the White Tower in beauty.

Just about any person from most other nations would have laughed and said that the White Tower was hundreds of times more great. But Rand had never seen the Tower. He only went by what he had heard.

Rand realized his thoughts had been drifting when he noticed Mat was tapping his arm.

"Hmm? What, Mat?" He asked as he suddenly flittered back into the conversation.

"Does something seem… off to you? Kind of like… like we're being watched?" He asked.

Rand didn't feel like he was being watched. He figured Mat was just being paranoid. Either that or Mat was just trying to start a good joke by get Rand riled up. That was his way. Jokes… trouble… mischief… things of that nature.

Plus, usually Rand had a sense about being watched. If he was he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. And they definitely were not.  
Mat wouldn't coax him into fearful paranoia.

"No. I feel just fine." He said in a calm manner. "You're just being paranoid." He said sarcastically.

"Light Rand, I'm being serious! Something is definitely wrong here!" Mat exclaimed.

"Be quiet!" Moiraine ordered harshly. Though her tone was a whisper, it managed to hold enough authority to keep them silent. Also, she was Aes Sedai. Who wouldn't do as told by a White Tower, Aes Sedai witch?

Though after a few minutes of silence, from their pursuer and themselves, Mat couldn't help himself any more.

"What about you Perrin?" He asked cautiously, twitching his head to look to the left and behind him where Perrin rode.

"I agree with Mat, Rand." Perrin said, ignoring Mat while still acknowledging him. "I think someone is watching us…"

Rand looked at Perrin curiously when he put his nose into the air. Quickly he lowered his nose back to normal eye level and looked slightly embarrassed about the entire issue.

"Two more bridges." Loial said cheerfully. "We are almost there."

Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and Rand all let out a sigh of relief. Moiraine seemed displeased and still a little rushed while Lan was as much an imitation of a stone as ever.

Nynaeve snorted. "It's about time. This is the most boring journey I've ever been on!"

If anything Moiraine simply ignored her.

Nynaeve hated Moiraine as much as she hated leaving the Two Rivers. She had left to retrieve Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene, catching up with them in Baerlon, yet somehow she had ended up going along with them.

"Probably due to her silk Aes Sedai tongue." She muttered angrily.

Mat felt something, though what he could not be sure. He was certain it involved the Dagger he held. Somehow he felt some dark sinister power. And he felt it through the dagger. Perhaps this thing was more of an aid then he thought?

Considering he had been as close to a raving lunatic as one could get before Moiraine arrived due to the cursed dagger, he figured it was probably not true. But either way, he felt something dark coming closer. Something… as dark as his dagger.

Perrin swiveled his sharp golden eyes from left to right, warily. They had not seen it of course, but he had. A quick flash was all the image had been, and he didn't want to scare his friends, but two bridges to the left he had seen a girl. She had jumped out of view quickly however, and he had only caught a glimpse.

The large bulge in the green leather shirt she wore had told him of her gender. But the only scents he could smell on her were two things. Fire was the first. "The smell was easily discernable, even for 'humans'." He thought and then forcefully pushed the thought into the back of his mind. "I'm a human!" He thought strongly.

He didn't know how the wolves were affecting him here as well. But they were, beyond any doubt.

The other scent was that of tears mixed with sweat. An odd combination, and even more odd that he could pick out the scent. She moved quickly, more quickly than should be possible for a human. She jumped across the bridges, swinging herself around far in front of them so she would intercept them in their current path.

He moved his horse up to Moiraine. "Moiraine. Someone is watching us. It's a girl… she's about two bridges ahead." He whispered.

"I know." Was her quick reply.

He didn't know how she could possibly know. That shout had been faint even to his somehow enhanced ears. Nevertheless, he let Mat and Rand catch up to him. He could see the exit almost two bridges away but they couldn't even see the nearest bridge.

Suddenly something odd occurred.

"Loial?" Perrin asked. "Didn't you say there was no wind in the ways?"

Loial's face became a mixture of paleness and fear. "Machin Shin…" He whispered hoarsely, "The Black Wind is coming. The Light Illumine and protect us, it's coming."

"We must hurry. Move!" Moiraine said now not disguising her urgency.

They began to move at nigh on a gallop. Perrin saw the girl hop out of their way as they charged through the spot she had occupied but didn't mention it.

They came to a quick halt as the wind picked up more along with Loial's moans.

"The Avendesora leaf is not here!" He cried. "The key is gone!"

"Light." Mat shouted. "Bloody Light!"

Loial let loose a blood curdling howl… a howl of hopelessness and fear, like a howl of dying.

Rand, while terrified in his own right, held onto his composure. Or at least he hoped he did. Egwene had touched his arm and, feeling the need to protect her, he let his hand fall onto hers.

The wind howled muttering voices, voices screaming vileness that, even half understood, brought bile up in his throat.

Suddenly Moiraine brought up her staff and held the end towards the door, releasing a lance of flame to the top of it. A yellow, thin, hot bar of light blazing into the doorway. But it appeared pointless.

"Something is wrong. I cannot open the door." Moiraine shouted. It bore into the door way, inching itself along, yet not appearing to make a true cut.

Rand frantically glared at the door, wishing it to open. He turned looking back to where the sickly voices were coming from and saw it.

A great mass of darkness, blacker then the ways themselves, hurtling towards them.

"Moi… Moi… Moiraine…" he quivered.

Moiraine set down her staff and turned. "Light Illumine us… I was wrong." Moiraine muttered as she faced the black monstrosity.

It came even closer and Rand felt a tug at his inner self. As if his blood and veins were being pulled right out of him. Voices now drifted into his ear, just outside of understanding. Sickening words of venom and evil.

Flesh so fine, so fine to tear, to gash the skin; skin to strip, to plait, so nice to plait the strips, so nice, so red the drops that fall; blood so red, so red, so sweet; sweet screams, pretty screams, singing screams, scream your song, sing your screams….

As he toppled onto himself, Egwene with him, and landed on the rocky ground, he was dimly aware of Lan and Moiraine, still standing in grim defiance, while Loial lay face down along with Mat, Perrin, and Nynaeve.

"I WON'T LET YOU!" Came the feminine shout.

Rand didn't know how but his eyes darted toward her. Suddenly the cruel sickening voices of the Black Wind were less… there. Rand stood and helped Egwene to her feet, as his… soul regenerated itself. He embraced the void. The blackness along with the flame, that he learned to use when Tam al'Thor his father, taught him to use the bow. He felt alive, powerful, within the void.

Moiraine and Lan stood in shock. A red-headed girl stood between them and the Black Wind. Yellow white light erupted from her fingertips, creating an enormous barrier. "MACHIN STOP! YOU WILL GO THIS TIME!" The girl cried.

Rand didn't understand a word. She spoke it in a fluid language, that she appeared to know well.

The luminous black breeze ate at the barrier. But the girl pushed onward stepping forward against it.

"YOU WILL TURN BACK!" She demanded.

"Moiraine!" Lan shouted suddenly, snapping the Aes Sedai out of her amazement. "Open the Door!"

Moiraine, having no time to puzzle over the girls peculiar language, got to her work as fast as she could. This time she was even more vigorous. The yellow bar of fire seemed more powerful this time. It's acrid scent touched Perrin's nose making him want to sneezed as he regained his footing.

The wind began to hurl itself bodily at the golden barrier erected by the girl. She sunk to her knees, with her face downcast holding the barrier up against the hammering of Machin.

"Machin…" She whispered. "It's my birthday… don't you remember at all?" She asked it.

The wind appeared to hesitate but only for a moment before slamming into her barrier again. All the while the light seemed to drain from the barrier into the darkness that was Machin Shin.

The voices were rising and falling with the battering of the wall of light. Becoming louder in Mat's head. His dagger reverberated in it's pocket with every word, begging him to slice at the wall of light. He stumbled towards it, knowing full well what destroying that wall would do, yet he couldn't stop. The voices.. So… evil…

Blood for light. Bring the light that spawned my birth. Bring me light, light for dark, light for blood. Sweet blood, Sweet light, girl with light so sweet, so bright, give light…

Rand couldn't help but feel that the black monster was looking directly at him in it's own, wind like way.

"FINE! YOU WANT THE LIGHT? HAVE IT!" The girl cried. The barrier sprung to life, transforming from gold to white in the blink of an eye. It erected itself fully, barring the path. The wind slammed into it and instantly the voices stopped, and became agonizing screams.

Rand jumped. Suddenly and instantaneously he felt a great force erupt from the girl. He stepped back slowly. Apparently none of the others had noticed it but somehow she had entered the void like himself. He hadn't known others could really do this…

"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I WILL WIN THIS TIME!" She screamed. She stood and walked forward slowly, forcing the light onto the Wind.

The light wrapped itself around Machin, encasing him.

It's screams grew louder and more distressed.

Suddenly, it fled and lightning speeds, blazing away from the girl and her light.

"Eheh… I… finally… won." She said aloud. She sunk to her knees… tears in her eyes. And then, fell face down into the stone floor.

Rand understood these words from the girl, unlike any of her previous words which seemed to be in a different language, and was quick to jump toward the girl. But Egwene was faster.

Suddenly a loud bang and an eruption of light signaled the opening of the door. Rand turned quickly to see Moiraine motioning to Perrin, Mat, and Nynaeve, who were closer, to go through. Lan's horse stood, twitching as if it had just pushed the stone over itself.

It had for all Rand knew.

"Come on Rand. We have to bring her." Egwene whispered.

Rand nodded and bent, picking the girl up with one hand behind her neck, and one in the crook of her legs. She moaned and looked at him, glancing at his face. "Arigato." She muttered, confusing Rand even more. Then her eyes shut completely.

"Hurry!" Loial said as he walked through the gate to the outside. Egwene ran forward and suddenly stopped and looked back to where the girl had lay. A small book lay there, apparently dropped by the girl.

She went back and grabbed it quickly and then ran forward, grabbing the horses. Suddenly the voices crept into her head again.  
Pain. Pain from her. Girl who made light… light made wind, light bite wind, wind bite back. Bite bloody light. Take blood. Not like light. Blood so sweet, blood no bite. Find blood and flesh, tear bones, break backs. Crack necks…

She ran quickly and Jumped through the gateway behind Rand, followed closely by Moiraine and finally Lan.

Loial sat against a tree. Suddenly he kissed it. "The Light preserve us." He said. "Light… I'll never use the ways again. Elder Haman says Loial is a fool and he is right. Never again." He went on to begin muttering to the tree. It was… odd to see such a large creature muttering.

Rand set the girl down on the grass.

She was unconscious but that did not hinder the fact that she was beautiful. Quite possibly the most attractive woman… no… girl Rand had ever seen. Extremely short, with wild, uncouth, blood red hair. A smooth face like that of a lord or lady yet she wore nothing but a plain green tunic and brown pants. Both of which were shattered and sheered almost everywhere that a piece of cloth could be ripped.

"She's a bloody Goddess cept' for the scars." Mat commented from over Rand's shoulder.

"She is beautiful," Egwene commented eyeing her breasts and the few random rips in the shirt that showed her bare skin, along with a few scratch marks and old gaping wounds, long since healed.

"She saved our lives, with a power I do not understand. Either way, we should be grateful. We will take her with us to Fal Dara"  
"You may not understand it… but I do." Lan said suddenly. "And it was impossible."

Moiraine looked at her warder questioningly. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Exactly as I said. What that girl did, up until the light turned white, was use her own soul as a barrier. It should not have been possible." He said.

Suddenly Egwene gasped and an audible "THUMP" echoed throughout the mid morning light.

"What happened Egwene?" Rand asked, looking upon her terrified form.

She sat on the ground, scooting away from the book she had dropped onto the ground.

"The… the book… it's…" She muttered.

"What? It's just a book." Mat said. He walked up to it and picked it up.  
"You see? Just a book." he said waving it around.

"Open it!" Egwene shouted.

Mat shrugged and opened it. A light spewed forth along with a picture of scenery flying by.

"What in the!" He cried flinging the book away from himself.

It landed face up and open. "Moiraine… what… what is it?" She asked. "A… book with… living pictures." She answered for herself.

Moiraine looked at it but sensed none of the One Power from it at all. "I… don't know." She said.

"Is it an item from the Age of Legends?" Nynaeve asked curiously.

"I don't know." Moiraine repeated. "Come we have no time for this. We will bring her with us to Fal Dara." She began striding towards the north yet stopped and turned toward the way gate. "This is dangerous. The thing can't get out but anyone could unknowingly walk in. We must have Lord Agelmar wall it up once we arrive at Fal Dara."

The others nodded but none seemed to care much. They were far more interested in the book.

"What do we do with the book?" Nynaeve asked. She flung her long braid back behind her shoulder and stood up from where she had lay down upon exiting the Waygate, letting the sun shine upon her darkened frame.

Moiraine strode to the book, snapped it shut, cutting off the fluid, incomprehensible voices flowing from it, and then tucked it neatly into a large pocket in her cloak. "Come on." She ordered. And with that she mounted her white horse. "Lan, you carry the girl."

Lan, who had never left his own black stallion, Mandarb, trotted back to the girl. Without leaving his horse, he bent over and lifted the girl with his left hand, placing her gently across his own back. He rode on as if she weighed less then a feather. "I guess we'd better follow them…" Egwene muttered to no one in particular, as soon as Moiraine and Lan were out of earshot.

"I suppose." Mat replied, also seemingly more to himself then to anyone else. He fingered the dagger within his shirt pocket but didn't think anyone noticed.

Rand watch Mat warily. "Mat… what is that dagger doing to you?" He thought.

Meanwhile, Moiraine was ahead whispering to Lan.

"What do you mean impossible? What did she do?" Moiraine asked.

"People… all people, have a soul. Their soul allows them to live… to feel. And especially to fight. When one trains the body it makes the body stronger. More capable of running long distances or any other number of physical things." Lan lectured.

"And?" Moiraine asked.

"Soul," Lan continued. "Is the training of the mind. It is started with heavy meditation. When one has entered a perfect state of calm they embrace their soul and it will enhance them. It is how my vision compares to yours with your Saidar. My vision is enhanced by my soul." Lan said.

"I do not understand how this is related to the girl." Moiraine said.

"That girl." Lan continued once again. "Used her soul to create a barrier or light. She has so much soul. I can feel it radiating off her. She is… she. Well, if I fought her she would soundly defeat me without lifting a finger. All she would have to do is radiate that light around her and I couldn't come near her." Lan finished.

"So why is this impossible?" Moiraine asked. She did not like not understanding.

"It is impossible because it is impossible. I've have trained my mind along with my body all my life and I cannot do a fourth of what this girl can, and she appears younger than me. If she sent her soul into her arms they would be stronger than armored walls. She… makes me uneasy. It should not be possible." Lan said.

"There is… a possibility that she was… given these powers. The Dark One has many resources… but this… be wary around her Moiraine."

Moiraine did not see Lan shiver often. But shiver he did. He glanced back at the girl, draped over the back of his horse, face down.

Silence reigned for a small while. Moiraine heard the rest of her party catching up. They were not walking very fast anyways.

"She is Ta'veren isn't she?" Lan asked suddenly.

Ta'veren. A Ta'veren was a person who the Wheel wrapped people's lives around. It was a center thread in the great pattern of the ages, weaved by the Wheel of Time. Rand, Perrin, and Matrim were all Ta'veren.

In the pattern, each person had a thread. And the wheel weaved the pattern around, threads intertwining and disconnecting, as it had since the beginning of time.

Moiraine stayed silent for a few moments and watched the red-haired girl's swaying arms. "No. No she is not."

"Hmm. That is odd. She is so strong… the number of lives she could change by accident…" "The wheel weaves as the wheel wills, Lan. If she was meant to be Ta'veren, she would be." Moiraine said a little too quickly.

She never let Lan see how terrified the girl made her. The girl, unlike anyone she had ever seen, did not appear to have a thread in the wheel at all. She seemed to be… exempt.

"I suppose." Lan replied. The others voices suddenly entered earshot for Moiraine and Lan and they halted their conversation.

"Where is Fal Dara?" Nynaeve asked suddenly.

Moiraine pointed toward the foggy morning sky.

"Do you see the towers?" She asked.

They all looked but the only ones who saw it were Perrin and Rand. And they only caught the slightest glimpses of them, for the fog blanketed them well.

"Come." Moiraine said. "We will arrive by midday."

* * *

Akane had shoved the random scraps of paper underneath her textbook. There were thirty seven. No wait, thirty eight now. 

Odd considering there were only twenty four people in her current class. Akane's embarrassment had reigned as the governing emotion in her throughout the first four classes as the notes on her desk from other students began to pile up.

The teacher droned on without a care in the world.

But now the dreaded time was coming. The time when she would have to tell her friends the… good?… news.

And as if taunting her, the bell rang.

"AKANE!" someone cried. Akane wasn't sure who. Her friends voices were all very similar.

She turned and was greeted by Sayuri, Kurisu, and Natsuumo.

"Akane!" Sayuri cried again. "Is it true? Are you… are you really pregnant!" She asked excitedly.

Akane sighed. "I… didn't want this to spread you know. Yeah, it… seems so." Suddenly Akane found herself on the receiving end of a very… Shampoo-like, hug.

"Congratulations Akane! Who's the father! What are you gonna name it?" Came all three statements at once.

"Thanks, I don't know, and I don't know." Akane replied quickly. She was suddenly downright annoyed. What right did these people have asking her questions like this?

Then she questioned her own thought. "These… people? Jeez, these are my friends! What's wrong with me."

"I bet it's Ranma's, isn't it Akane-chan!" Kurisu asked giddily.

"I… honestly don't know. I don't even remember doing anything. I think Shampoo drugged me to forget the whole thing... Drugged or… whatever it is she does to make people forget things." Akane said sullenly.

"Oh, Akane that's so horrible!" Sayuri cried. "How could Shampoo be so cruel?"

"I don't know… but I plan to find out." Akane said determined. She didn't really notice her fist clench as she was suddenly enveloped in that illuminating awareness she recently come in contact with. She loved it. It made her feel… invincible.

"And what about Ranma?" Natsuumo asked suddenly. "Has he come back yet?"

Akane jumped. They didn't know? OH! That's right… they… they all believe Ranma was… kidnapped. "I… Ranma was taken by Sailor Pluto because… he was starting an evil revolution, and tried to begin a hostile takeover of the earth." Akane said. She hated every word of it. She had killed Ranma. "That's why I returned crying. I couldn't believe it… but she showed me the truth."

In all honesty, Pluto had showed Nabiki the way out of her actions and Nabiki had told Akane what to say, if Ranma's expectant return was questioned.

To Akane, it was amazing how quickly they believe, yet how little they cared. They seemed to care much more about how she FELT about him being gone.

"So… he's… gone for good?" Sayuri asked tentatively.

Even within the all powerful presence of Saidar, she felt the tear drip down her cheek. She merely nodded. Her friends looked sullen.

"I'm… really sorry, Akane." Natsuumo said suddenly. And again, Akane was hugged.

She put her defiant face back on. "Don't mention it! It's no big deal! He was a jerk anyways, and if he was planning to take over the planet he deserved it!"

"… Alright Akane… whatever you say." Akane was looking down. She didn't noticed which one of her friends had said it.

"Oh come on! Lets go get some food!" She said half angrily and half happily.

"Ok, Akane!" Sayuri cheered.

They walked away towards the cafeteria. As her anger and sadness drifted away, due to her friends and their congratulations, she felt Saidar slip away from her once again. She almost cursed. That precious light had felt so… wonderful.

Throughout the rest of the day, Akane had to endure repeating the same answer for hundreds of people, nonstop. "Oh… this is gonna be a long five months." She thought vainly.

* * *

Ranma awoke slowly. She peeked one eye open and instantly shut it tight. "LIGHT!" She cried. She heard footsteps nearby and they were right beside her instantly. 

"Are you alright miss?" The voice came, in heavy accent compared to Machin Shin's but the same language all the same.

"It's… so bright! I can't open my… eyes. Who are you? Did they live? Are they free?" Ranma asked as she frantically covered her eyes trying to keep out the simple daylight that pained her eyes so very much.

"They? Oh you mean the Aes Sedai and her companions? I suppose they are. They were seen to their rooms not long ago. Lord Agelmar had them set up with a fine set of beds. If anyone is "alright" it would be them." The person said almost angrily.

Ranma squinted and let a pinch of light into her eye. It still stung after so many years with only dim firelight as a guide.

"Now miss they are wondering what your name is?" The voice asked. Suddenly Ranma recognized the accent. It was much like her own. Feminine. This was a woman.

"I'm… ah… stings.. I'm Ranma." She said slowly.

"Ranma? What an odd name. Where do you come from?"

Ranma ignored her as her eyes began to adjust. She blinked back tears simply from the light before she realized… and here eyes opened wide.

She gazed at the sun through the tower window…

"I'm…I…"

She had dreamed of the sun. Of seeing it with her own eyes instead of through another's. And now here it stood before her, rising. The window gave her a perfect view of the Eastern Sky. She adored every minute of it, and suddenly she was at the window, staring at the sun.

The brightness still stung her eyes but the tears were of relief and joy, not pain. She was free. So many thousands of years of waiting. "Happy… twenty thousand…" She muttered to herself.

"Are… you alright miss?" The woman asked.

Ranma was startled. It had seemed natural to speak to this woman when she had awoken but now that she was fully aware that it was a PERSON she was talking to. Not just a figment of her imagination, or a person in her book that could neither see nor hear her.

She grasped the woman and shed tears on her shoulder, all the while murmuring the word "Free" over and over again into the woman's ear.

The woman jumped at first but then slowly relaxed. She also seemed to take her murmuring as babbling.

"It's ok child, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing… nothing will ever be wrong again." She said removing herself from the woman's shoulder. "I'm… free."

"Free…?" The woman asked. The child, was extremely beautiful, though it was quite obvious she was still a child. But… why was she smiling… and walking… backwards toward the window… and…

"NO STOP!" She cried.

But too late, Ranma had blasted out of the three-story-high window into the sky laughing as she had never laughed before, her eyes, shining in the morning sunlight.

She landed on another tower far away from the one she had leapt from. The exhilaration she received from jumping through the wind and air rushed through her. She did not think she had ever felt happier.

She landed on the street far below after a time, hopping from person to thing, examining all of them, staring at simple pots, people's faces, wagons, horses, and anything else her curious eyes could feast on. She felt like a giddy child. And in all honesty, she could care less.

It had been so long since she had seen these sorts of things. She would NEVER let them go. She would never be imprisoned again, she swore to herself.

She continued leaping all over the city, scaring many, many people with her frightening and unexpected appearances.

"Where are the people I saved?" She pondered, after she had settled down from her exhilaration. "I should at least thank them…"

* * *

Seluda Grintole was a healer working in one of the towers of Fal Dara. It had been almost nightfall when she had received her patient. The red-haired girl, just barely fifteen by the look of her, had arrived draped over the back of Lan al'Mandragoran's horse, Mandarb. Upon first glance, any man would be undoubtedly attracted to her no matter her age or the few scars across her neck and the one large one across her left cheek. 

That one in particular might even RAISE her attractiveness.

But a glance underneath her clothing would probably raise bile in their throats.

Well… that was actually VERY doubtful. But it was a little disturbing.

Scars covered the girl's body. Hundred's of them. Most were quite small. A few of them had reached her face, but the number of scars on the parts of her body that were visible was quite low. Most of them were on her back, abdomen and upper legs, though no part of her body was completely spared.

This girl had lived a horrid life, no doubt. She must have been beaten by an abusive… person for prolonged periods of time or something like that.

She had slept through the night. She was alright, Seluda had confirmed, yet she was very tired and needed rest.

Yet the look on the child's eyes when she finally opened them the next morning was simply heartbreaking. She looked at everything like it was new, like she had never seen this place she had been brought to. Like she had never seen… anything. The way she looked at the sky…

Then when the girl, Ranma she called herself, hugged her, Seluda felt as if she were being cracked in half but couldn't help but feel pity for the girl as joyful tears leaked onto her shoulders.

Whatever the prison this girl had resided in was, it must have been… horrible. She muttered free over and over again into her ear as she soaked Seluda's shoulder in tears.

And then, just as suddenly, she backed up toward the window and actually LEAPT out of it! Seluda almost had a heart attack when it happened but then she realized that somehow the girl was actually Jumping to and fro on the towers!

Jumping…! Across… light.. TOWERS! Laughing like mad all the while!

Last time she had checked that wasn't possible even for Aes Sedai… or if it was for them they did not do it for one reason or another.

She ran down the tower and directly to Lord Agelmar's home as fast as she could. He saw her in and she told him that her patient was awake and had named herself, Ranma. She told of how the girl had leapt from the window and was now jumping from tower to tower.

Lord Agelmar's jaw dropped upon seeing the girl gleefully laughing as she enjoyed the breeze generated from jumping hundreds of feet in the air.

Seluda, done with informing Agelmar, ran out of his home, barely noticing the Aes Sedai entering as she left, and followed her patient as closely, throughout the streets of Fal Dara as she could. Unfortunately she simply couldn't catch the excited girl, who seemed to act very much like a child recently freed from chores.

After almost an hour of trying to stop her, however, she found the girl. Or rather, the girl found her.

"Hey! You're the lady that was with me when I woke up!" She exclaimed joyously, as she popped up in front of her with almost no sound whatsoever.

"I… well yes. And what were you thinking? I worked all night to bring you back to health and you JUMP out of a tower window! Do you know how high that is?" She asked.

Her reply was awkward. She acted as a berated child in tone and in words but all the while she held that joyous smile… she could lift even the darkest spirit with that heartwarming childish smile on her scared face. "I'm sorry… I was just so glad… to be… free." "Your going to have to tell me more about yourself. Where are you from? What are you "Free" of?" Seluda asked expectantly. The girl's accent was that of an Andorman but the more she spoke the more she felt like it was possible she was from Saldaea.

"Well… uh… I don't think you would know the place. But… I have… had… a friend who lived in a place called Andor." Ranma replied in a hesitant tone.

"I… see… friend. Was… this friend the one who gave you all the scars?" She asked.

Ranma jumped over her and landed on the opposite side making her gasp in awe at the girls amazing ability. Fortunately, she didn't have much time to gape at the girl as she continued right on with her answer.

"Oh no! These scars are all training accidents!" She exclaimed.

Training… accidents? Training in what? Seluda was becoming more interested in her new patient. "No… Machin was a good friend up until… well… he went insane a few years back and ever since people have called him Black Wind. But oh well. I'm free now right?"

Machin? No parent in their right mind would name a child Machin! Had the stories truly faded so much that people did not even recall the Black Wind of the ways? Wait… called him the Black Wind…?

"Ranma… could you come with me back to the nursing hall? I need to… find out if your going… well. If your well!" She saved quickly.

"Ok!" Ranma happily complied.

Suddenly she stopped. "Oh… Where's my book?" She asked.

"Book? What book?" Ranma's eyes narrowed. "I want my book." She said darkly. "NOW!" She barked.

The final word echoed throughout the city. Seluda was suddenly afraid. This was no child! She was suddenly ten years older and twenty times more frightening.

"Uh.. I.. .You didn't… have a book when you arrived!" She said shakily. Ranma, who had had thousands of years to look at and learn to read people through her book, saw no lie in the woman's eyes.

"It's that way." Ranma thought as she felt around. The hunger that she STILL felt from leaving the presence of the book eased as she walked West.

"Ran.. Ma?" The woman asked. Suddenly Ranma's tone changed again back to her childish form.

"I don't know your name yet!" She said bubbly.

"It.. Um… is Seluda." She said quickly.

"Well… thank you Seluda!" Ranma replied. "Nice to meet you!"

And with that, Ranma leapt into the air. After a few jumps, Seluda saw her sail into a window about three hundred feet into the air.

Two girls within the room were startled at Ranma's entrance. Especially through the window… it was… rather impossible.  
Egwene and Nynaeve had been staring into the book at the magnificent square buildings and clear walls and… things that the book had showed them. They had been deeply entranced with the things in the world of the moving picture book. The soft clothing the people wore… the candle lights the turned on and off when the people flipped little switches on walls. Everything about this place they saw was amazing.

"My Book!" Ranma cried. She snatched it quickly and tucked it away under her arm protectively. "You stole my book!" "We didn't steal it!" Egwene cried as soon as she got over the fact that this girl had just entered through the window. "We were just looking at it!" She held her hands up in protest, trying to calm the angry girl who had saved her life.

Ranma didn't' recognize them. She actually had never truly gotten a good look at the ones she had saved from Machin. But now seemed a good time to ask. "Were you the ones with me in the Ways? The ones I saved?" She asked randomly.

Both girls, unready for the random question, fought their awe with the girls speed and apparently, wall scaling abilities, and tried to come up with a good answer. Egwene, once again, was first.

"I… yes! We were in the ways when you saved us." She said quickly.

"So… you brought me out of there?" Ranma asked tentatively.

"Well.. Yes. Actually it was Rand who carried you out and I stopped to get that book." She said pointing. "It's… so beautiful. What is it?"

Ranma didn't listen after she heard the word yes. She ran to the girl and embraced her, mimicking her earlier embrace of Seluda.

"Thank you…" She whispered, "Thank you so much.. For letting me free."

"Letting you… free?" Egwene asked.

"Who are you?" Nynaeve demanded standing up to her full height, towering above Ranma glaring down at the her.

"I'm Ranma." Ranma replied glaring back up, not the least bit intimidated.

"Well Ranma," Egwene said interrupting, "Your welcome Ranma. But… could you tell us… how you got into the ways in the first place?"

Ranma, seeing no reason not to tell them said, "If I remember right… I used my ki to blow up a pedestal which created a portal that I went through to get to the Ways… It think that's how it happened." Then she turned and walked towards the window. "I've got a lot more things to see! I can't stay and talk. I'm sorry. I'll never waste another minute of precious free life!" Egwene and Nynaeve, thinking that she was just being evasive, screamed for her to halt. But she leapt from the window once again, back into the Sun.

She sailed toward the ground, falling like a meteorite toward the Earth below her. She slowed her decent and prepared her feet to land on the dirt road.

Clop!

And she landed. And suddenly…

"Oops!" came the shout. Ranma saw it coming miles away but welcomed it. It was just a little water. It splashed across her and she realized that it was hot water. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming sense of wholeness and perfection wash over her. A sensation that rivaled that of embracing the light of Saidin, but she could not for the life of her, understand why hot water would produce such a reaction.

Sure it was comfortable but… she was feeling pure elation almost to the point of… ecstasy.

"Oh damn!" Someone shouted. "Now I'm going to have to re-heat… re… heat… Da…Dark… Darkfriend!"

Suddenly hundreds of blades were drawn along with hundreds of faces and people appearing all around Ranma facing her. Raising blades and pointing them at her.

"What did I do?" She asked. But something was wrong with her voice. It was… deep… harder… lower pitched.

She looked down and saw that the extensions she had worn on her chest for nigh on twenty thousand years were not present.

And she couldn't have felt happier.

"I'm a man." He said aloud.

"Darkfriend! She changed her form! She was a girl and now she's a man! It's the Dark One's own work!" Came a cry.

Ranma barely heard. "I'm a Man." He repeated.

The crowd looked at him, confused. "You're a Darkfriend aren't you?" The same voice cried.

"I'm… I'm"  
He had never felt so… complete in his life. Memories of curses… of Springs… Springs of Sorrow. Memories.. Hundreds of forgotten memories, resurfacing. Memories.

This was why he had hated the idea of loving Machin so much. This was why… inside he was always…

"I'm a man." This time it was in his head.

"Akane." He murmured. He had always remembered her… but suddenly, she seemed just as much important as she had seemed when her life had faded from the page of his book.

"I'm a man… and I have to go home." He said aloud.

It was only just then that he realized he had been speaking in Japanese. And they had been calling him a Darkfriend. An accusation, Machin had told him, that was punishable by death.

Suddenly a blade flashed right where his neck had been. But he caught it within his palm, bursting it into shards of metal. "I'm no Darkfriend. I've been cursed." He said in the language they could understand. "I'm a man… I'd just… forgotten. I'm Ranma… Sa… Saotome. Sorry about this…"

The phrase had felt right on his tongue. Somehow he knew that this had once been his usual first-time-meeting, greeting. Somehow he knew… Saotome. That was his name.

He stared over the crowd. It didn't matter. They may want to kill him but none of it mattered. He was free. Dealing with problems that NORMAL people dealt with. Problems, that involved anything… other than loneliness.

As they held they blades firmly pointed at him, he felt that he couldn't be happier. And his smile showed it…

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Whew! Sorry bout the long time since the last update. Vacations, Cds, cool games, and finally letting my girlfriend read my fics (Love ya Chels!) have all been a part of the delay of this fic. Not to mention the rewrites… damn I hate rewriting fics so much! But I have to do it right and right I shall do it whether I have to rewrite the entire chapter five times. It's so hard to do though lol! Ok lesse lesse what else was important. Oh yeah. I figure you guys would want to see the map of my proclaimed: Second Earth, where Ranma is now. What's the point of knowing about places like Andor and Fal Dara if you don't know where they are and such? So I have provided this handy little link here. 

H t t p / w w w . sevenspokes . Com / images / wallpaper / map-1600-8 . Bmp

There. Handy eh? Well anyways. I hope you enjoyed this chapter of So Be It. The next is already in progress. Once again. Thank you for reading and thank you even more for reviewing. Happily accept any and all criticism, praise, and flames. Can't wait to see your reviews.

One last thing. This fic is now my longest fic. Thank you all who helped and gave ideas. Credit of Inspiration goes to Hearts of Ice, Aftermath: A Story of Blended Cliches, and the Iris Tales, amoung many others. Till next!


	6. The Miracle at Tarwin's Gap

Well, Good news and Bad News. What do you want first? Good or Bad? Bad? That's good. Ok so I have lost my job making it to where my constant search for a new one is interrupting my writing. (Gomen Nasai) Not to mention all the bad stuff that keeps happening to me. Stupid dumb blondes calling me on the phone and me "being a nice guy and all" not hanging up getting my girl friend mad at me (I'm such a retard. Sry Chels)… not to mention all sorts a other crap that's been going wrong. Ah well, that's life… I'm sure things will turn around. I always bounce back. Done it before, will do it again. But anyways. Want the good news? I FINALLY Downloaded the entire manga of SM and have now read through it and feel like I know the ins and out's of SM. So yeah, I suppose I don't have the "I don't know sailor moon" excuse any more. That's a good thing right? Lol. The good news definitely does not out weigh the bad but now I will be able to begin to work on the Sailor Moon side of the story! Yayyay! O well. Here's the next chap. On with the show!

P.S. OH MY GOD THIS IS GETTING HARD... (Not to mention fun ; I like it even more now!)

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Miracle At Tarwin's Gap

* * *

**

Ranma glanced around, not at the blades pointed towards him, but at his arms, legs, what little facial features he could see, and his down-right awkward hair.

"What in the Light…! What is the meaning of this?" A stern female voice demanded. Ranma looked on and saw the blue cloak he had seen on one of the women within the ways. The one who had opened the door.

She strode through the crowd and, scrunched as they were already, the crowd scooted together to form a path for her, bending around her like flowing water.

Moiraine felt annoyed. She was angry at the crowd directly outside. She had just finished speaking with Lord Agelmar about her plans and walked outside to find a crowd of men, swords drawn. "Men," She thought. She chuckled to herself. It wasn't often that she thought about men in that exasperated way that most women did.

It was easy to see what the swords were aimed at. The man, wearing the exact same clothing as the red-haired girl had, though the clothes now seemed much too tight, was standing in the middle of the crowd, a head taller then the tallest of the Shienaran soldiers.

The man fidgeted. He was.. Uncomfortable, not frightened.

"What are these?" He asked suddenly in a heavily Saldaean accent. He pointed towards the blades with genuine curiosity "These shiny things? What's… a Darkfriend? And… why are you all so… angry… Your… angry right?" He asked.

Moiraine was… surprised at his actions, as were the men surrounding him. Who looked into forty or fifty blades pointed directly at them with naught but curiosity?

She finally made her way through the crowd and into the middle. She stood calmly and was about to speak but the black haired boy spoke first.

"You… are you the one who opened the door?" Ranma asked. "In the ways?"

"Door?" Moiraine replied confused, not by what she had done but how this man had known what she had done. She had opened the door in the ways yes but this man had definitely not been present unless… Moiraine considered herself smart and hoped that she had put the correct two and two together.

"Are you the red-haired girl? The one who saved our lives?" Moiraine asked quizzically.

"I am." Ranma answered plainly.

During the course of their conversation Ranma had almost completely forgotten about the men and their shiny pointed objects.

"Sheath your swords!" Moiraine cried instantly. "Be him Darkfriend or not in your eyes, He saved my life. He is owed respect. May The Light Shine and Illumine you." Moiraine said proudly as she bowed her head but only for a moment.

While bowing, Ranma couldn't help but think that somehow this woman had received more respect from the onlookers than he had. It truly annoyed him but he managed to live.

"I must know how you and the girl are one in the same." Moiraine said the instant her head had raised from the bow. She may have had the Shienarans withdraw their swords but she had embraced Saidar the moment she first spoke with the man.

She was Aes Sedai and she would not be fooled or tricked by innocent looking actions.

Ranma looked around, the shiny metal pointed objects, swords the woman had called them, had been slid back into the cases the men wore on their belts.

Ranma vaguely recalled seeing a few of them every now and then in one or two of the more awkward people's lives in his book. But no one had used or seen one in the book in a very long time and, unfortunately he had forgotten the name.

"I… I don't remember really…" Ranma said shakily. "It's so hazy… but I do know that… hmm." Ranma began to think to himself. The phrase "Springs of Sorrow" kept randomly popping into his head. He took a step forward and instantly tripped onto his face.

"Ouch." He moaned. He stood quickly and tried another step, but wobbled having a hard time keeping balance in this new and awkward form. The protrusion between his legs did not help matters at all.

"I… haven't been a guy in… eheh.. A really long time. My curse is… water based I think. Cold water turns me into a girl. Hot water into a man… Um.. Who are you ma'am…?" Ranma asked.

"My name is Moiraine. Moiraine Sedai." Moraine replied steadily though inwardly she wondered what in the world the word Ma'am meant. "May I ask your name?"

"Uh… I'm Ranma." Ranma replied unsteadily. "Um… why do you… well. Um… can I ask where I am?"

"Your in Fal Dara, child." Moiraine responded still coolly. "Fal… Dara…? Never heard of it." Ranma said quickly. But I have heard of a place like it… um.. Mafal Dadaranell, I think it was called.

Moraine's eyes widened but she did not show her surprise visibly.

"You must be from very far to have never heard of Fal Dara. Your Saldaean accent says you can't be from too far, I believe." Moiraine said. "From where do you hail?"

Moiraine had carefully ignored the last comment from Ranma, it wouldn't do to ask how this man knew THAT name. Mafal Dadaranell was a city built by the Ogiers but had been long since destroyed. But it had been rebuilt by men as Fal Dara.

"Saldaea? Oh yeah! Machin told me about Saldaea… but… not much. It was just a fledgling country in the northwest when he was lost in the Ways..." Ranma told her. "No… I'm not from Saldaea. Never even been there. I honestly don't think I'm on the same world I was born on." Ranma said casually.

Moiraine could not help but blink with surprise at this but she shielded it from her expression before the boy noticed. "You… claim to… know Machin Shin? The Black Wind?"

"I… well… I used too but an… accident led to his madness… his current form. He was sane once." Ranma said somberly.

The men who had gathered around were now chuckling at the impossibility of the… man's?… comments. ANYONE who came near the Black Wind of the Ways died or went insane. Simple as that. Everybody knew it… didn't' they?

Ranma, seeing them laughing behind his back, couldn't for the life of him figure out why?

Moiraine noticed this and decided that she would continue her conversation with the man in a more private place. She had to hurry though. The Eye of the world resting in the Blight would not come to her. Upon her hopeful return she would question the man claiming to be the girl more thoroughly. The changing of sex was… very odd but not unheard of. Documentaries from the age of legends stated that it had once been possible. The reason for it's study was much more… playful, however it was possible when Saidin and Saidar were mixed together. Incredibly flawed, but possible nonetheless.

If this man, Ranma, had been cursed to be like this, then perhaps Moiraine had even less time than she had first thought. Only one, or more, of the forsaken could curse someone like this…

"I would ask that we continue our conversation somewhere more private?" She asked cautiously.

"Um… ok!" Ranma replied happily. She couldn't very well turn down the woman who had returned her freedom.

They walked through the crowd Ranma, avoiding the hatred covered glares of some of the more bold men. Ranma didn't understand the facial expression. In her book, no one had ever seemed so… angry. Ranma followed the woman into a large tower and through a series of winding corridors and a few staircases before finally reaching a room. It hadn't taken long for her to realize that this world, unlike her own, knew practically nothing about technology. Electricity, irrigation, even plumbing were all unknowns to these mundane people, based on their way of acting.

Ranma, when he had been a she and prancing around the city, had realized that horses were the fastest transportation available. That said a lot about a nation's, or even world's, economical abilities. He had been plunged into the dark ages of another world. And he still had to get home. Still had to get his revenge.

HIS revenge.

"How you came to be cursed like this and if you could demonstrate it for me?" Moiraine asked sharply as she abruptly turned around and sat in a wooden chair. She would get straight to the bottom of this. She didn't feel this was the time for a slick tongue and smooth words.

"I… don't really remember how I got it… it must have been, oh almost twenty thousand some odd years ago. I keep thinking of the phrase "Springs of Sorrow." I think that must be WHERE it happened…" Ranma replied.

"What… do you mean? You can't possibly be saying that your -"

"Did you know!" Ranma interjected quickly. "Yesterday was my Twenty Thousandth Birthday! I got such a great present, too!"

Moiraine suddenly began to rethink Ranma. This was no ordinary person at all. He seemed to… be both a child, elder, and middle aged girl and boy randomly whenever he chose. It was so… confusing. Now apparently he had chosen to act as a child. Curiosity covered his face as he looked at things and felt them with awe and joy.

"I… I… something is in my nose." He said awkwardly. "It… it… oh what's the word? Tastes.. No… smells! That's it! I'm smelling something!"

Ranma danced about excitedly as if he had made some great discovery.

He knew he sounded stupid and childish but he could not help it. Everything was so new to him. He knew politics, he knew dealing and money, he knew advanced calculus when he really thought about it because he had learned it as the people from his book had done. But simply understanding what it was to smell something was beyond his brain's capacity. He couldn't imagine what tasting something would be like. Now if he could just remember what tasting meant…

"Please, demonstrate your… curse for me." Moiraine asked. Even so, Ranma thought that there was some sort of demand in that question. As if the woman were commanding him even whilst asking him to demonstrate.

"I… sure. I need some… hot water and cold water I think." He told her.

Moiraine stood and walked out of the room leaving Ranma to examine the contents of the small compartment. A few old books, a bed that looked extremely uncomfortable, and a walking staff were all of her possessions it seemed.

She returned quickly with two pots full of the desired contents.

"Ok… I… I hope something happens here. I'm not sure if this is exactly how it works." Ranma said. He picked up the pot of cold water and began to drink a little of it.

Nothing happened.

"I… Nothing appears to be happening." Moiraine said.

"Hmm… Ranma thought."

Suddenly he upended the pot onto his head drenching himself and the floor he stood on. His form phased and he felt and awkward tingle. The woman before him grew taller and the room became larger, though the clothes she wore seemed to grow in size as well no longer clinging to her skin as they had as a man.

"Amazing," Moiraine commented. Fortunately for Ranma, she had felt no use of the one power.

"And I think hot water will turn me back." he said.

He tipped it over his head and felt himself grow tall, the clothes grow tight, his balance fade, and the feeling of joy at returning to his true form re-enter him.

"Extraordinary." Moiraine said in much the same tone as when he had first shifted forms.

"I… would you tell me your story? Where you were born and how you came to be in the Ways?" Moiraine asked almost impatiently.

"I'll… tell you what I remember if you want." Ranma said snapping his attention back to her instantly, once again returning to the voice of an older, frailer Ranma.

Well it all started on a normal day. I was going to school like most other people my age on my own world when it happened. Close to the end of the day…

He spun his tale of the great Sailor Pluto and how she had spirited him away into that deep dark realm with nothing but a view hole to his home world. How he, though a she at the time, had escaped after eighteen thousand years and then spent around fourteen hundred years with Machin Shin, and how he had gone insane when he had touched the light about six hundred years ago.

He had left out almost anything that he recalled that involved his home world. He remembered too little of his actual life though normal things he recalled very well. His book...

He told her every story he had, all the way up to his last encounter with Machin Shin protecting the very woman who stood before him. It was well into midday by the time he was done with the telling. Far too late for Moiraine's liking.

"That is… an amazing story. Far to elaborate to be fake." Moiraine told. "But I'm afraid I have no more time to listen. I have urgent matters to attend to within the Blight to the north."

"What kind of matters? Can I come?" Ranma asked as a child again.

"I… would ask that you would stay. If you are truly as strong as you seem perhaps you could be used at Tarwin's Gap." Moiraine said. She did not know what it was about the boy that made her trust him. But she did. This boy was… different. Innocent. Pure.

"Tarwin's Gap? What is that? Is it a smell? An item? OH! It's a place! I remember!"

"Yes, Tarwin's gap is a place. It is where the blight will be sending it's next attack." Moiraine replied calmly.

"Attack… why are you being attacked? What is the blight?" Ranma asked not recalling anything Machin had said about this, "Blight".

"The Blight?" Moiraine asked, surprised once again. "Well, I… suppose… have you ever heard of the Blasted Lands?" Ranma twitched and nodded her head. "Machin said that the stories he had been told said that the Blasted Lands held great monsters and things like that. He… never believed them. Said it was all a…" Ranma stopped and laughed quietly to himself for a moment. "A load of rabbit dung. Something only a wool-headed fool would believe..." Ranma finished.

"I must leave here. I have wasted too much time but I thank you, Ranma. May the light illumine you." Moiraine said. "But I leave you one bit of advise. Those stories? Believe them. Look around for yourself for a while and when you think you know the city somewhat, ask around to find Lord Agelmar. He will help you find a place to stay for the night."

"I… o… Ok." Ranma stuttered. And with that, Moiraine was gone.

Ranma was left alone to ponder what he was going to do. How was he going to get back home. As he stood and walked towards the door he fell flat on his face by loss of balance again and wondered when he would ever figure out how to walk in his true form without busting his nose.

* * *

Usagi was in a bad mood. It was not normal for there to be so… few youma attacks. Not normal in the least. It was a "Calm before the Storm" type of feeling. She knew the feeling instinctively. She had felt it before Pharaoh 90 and had BATHED in it before Galaxia. 

And now here she was, feeling it again. Though not quite as bad as she had for even Pharaoh 90. It was a smaller feeling as if, no matter what happened, she knew that the damage of the next attacks would not be directed at her.

She was beginning to enjoy her forewarnings.

This of course, was not the only thing putting her in a bad mood.

She knew the time was coming closer. In the next ten years she would be crowned. Pluto had told her so, whether the attack that was coming wiped out the rest of the solar system or what not, she would be crowned.

She skipped merrily enjoying the days she had as a regular high school student. Because she knew they would soon end. She would soon be a queen, unable to enjoy things such as solitary peace.

Most people thought she was still the ditzy blonde she was back when she had first become Sailor Moon in her Jr. High School though they of course, knew nothing of her true identity as Sailor Moon0. But no, she was far more complex then she had been then. But no one knew it. Not the other scouts or even Luna. But she did.

She felt herself change on the inside more every day. Felt herself becoming, older. She knew it was due to the fact that she was receiving memories from her past self. But still. She felt that by the time her change was complete, Usagi would be gone for good. And all that would be left would be Princess, soon to be Queen, Serenity.

She recalled the other things that had made her this way. The reality of the death of her four companions during the attacks from Queen Beryl all those months ago had probably been the trigger. It had hit her the hardest, the responsibility and so on that she now held.

Then it was slow moving. Her daughter, coming from the future and then becoming the advocate of the Black Moon. That entire episode of her life seemed somewhat surreal.

The Doom Tree. Pharaoh 90. Galaxia, and now the human murder of a boy she didn't even know. All of them had made her even more slowly aware of how little time she could have left.

How much she wanted to do with that time.

"Rei!" She cried joyously to the Scout of Mars as she approached her on the sidewalk. "Hey meatball head." Rei said happily. She had just two weeks previous gotten out of the hospital. They had said that she had fallen off a three story building and the lie had worked perfectly. She had been treated and restored to perfect health, as Sailor Moon's healing spell had not completely worked. So here they stood, meeting and acting as if nothing was wrong.

Well, Rei didn't know anything WAS wrong.

But as she walked with Rei, feigning her normal, bubbly attitude, which was becoming more and more of a hassle every day, she decided that it was time to begin to drop her facade. She couldn't pretend to be her old self anymore. If she was going to rule, she have to become… different. Better. Stronger. And she would have to show it.

She could no longer feign her child-like attitude for their peace of mind. But she would not let them forget who she once was.

"Rei." She asked calmly.

"Hmm?" Rei asked curious at the calmness of Usagi's voice.

"Rei, I'm… changing." She said hastily.

"Hmm?" Rei repeated now looking at the short blonde girl in pigtails which hung to her feet, formally known as her princess. "Usagi… is… something wrong?"

"Yes." Usagi replied. "I am changing Rei. I'm… losing Usagi. Soon I'll be Serenity. Every day I lose more of the person I was. The crystal. The duty. Everything that has happened. It's changing me more than you can tell Rei"  
"Usagi…" Rei began but Usagi held up her hand.

"Once I only appeared to be Serenity when I was in dire need. But… it's going to be me completely Rei. Someday Sailor Moon won't exist. I'll be just… Serenity." She told.

"All I ask, is that you don't forget who I was. All the… stupid things I'd done. Don't forget them? Please? I ask you this as a friend." She asked in all seriousness.

"I… of course. I… I'm sorry." Rei stuttered, unused to this kind of seriousness from her princess.

"What are you sorry about!" Usagi said with a large grin. Rei smiled. The Usagi she usually knew was back. For a little while at least. For a little while…

They continued walking in silence until suddenly they heard a shout. "WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW!" Came a loud, sharp yell.

Rei shivered as the bandana clad boy in yellow who had thoroughly pummeled her into the ground not two months previous appeared around the corner. They stood on guard and walked toward him along the sidewalk.

"Uh, hi." He said suddenly approaching them. "Um. I was just wondering if you could tell me where I am exactly? I'm pretty sure that Nerima is SOMEWHERE near here…" He trailed off looking down at an old road worn atlas.

Rei couldn't help but become nigh on frightened. She held it well but bit her lower lip to the point of bleeding. She recalled the brutal beating he had given her

"Um.. It's… uh. It's that way! Goodbye!" She exclaimed as she raced down the road away from him for once forsaking her pride to leave Usagi alone.

"Uh… is… something wrong with her?" the man asked awkwardly. "Um… well. I think you scared her." Usagi replied plainly. Sweat dropped off the back of her head.

"Oh… well… could you tell her I'm sorry? I mean, I thought that you scouts were evil kidnappers and, no offence, but A: I'd thought you kidnapped Ranma and B: Akane told me that you were the bad guys."

"You… you know who we are?" Usagi asked surprised.

"Well, yeah. I mean it's pretty obvious and if anyone else had been on the sidewalk I would've asked them but you were the only ones and I really need to talk to Akane so -" Ryoga began but was interrupted.

"And you just… walk up to us like that? Knowing full well who we are?" Usagi asked. "That you and her fought a death match just two months ago?"

"But… I… but… I needed the help!" Ryoga pleaded.

"…"

"You sir, are insane!"

"But… I -" Ryoga began.

"Of course you would scare Rei to death! Her untransformed and remembering you beating her like you did! It took almost five minutes of constant spell work to heal her injuries and even THAT wasn't enough!" Usagi shouted. "And then you come up and ask for DIRECTIONS?"

"I… I'm really sorry. I didn't know the whole story and I can't really say no to Akane. I don't like to hit girls but I love her and would do anything she asks sopleaseforgiveme!" Ryoga begged falling to his knees with his hands over his head.

Listening to the boy talk so quickly she was somewhat reminded of herself. At least, herself when she was younger. More foolish.

"Hmph. Your not asking the right person. You should ask Mars to forgive you." Usagi said. She had fully dropped her Usagi-ish normal attitude letting the moral thoughts of Serenity rule her judgment. It seemed to work well.  
"I… um… could you do it for me? I.. um.. I'm really shy with… girls.. And.. Well especially ones I've accidentally um… well. And I sort of have this little direction problem and… uh…" He trailed off.

"What's your name anyways?" Usagi asked, now impatiently, seemingly ignoring his request.

"I'm… I'm Ryoga." Ryoga replied nervously.

"Well, I am Usagi. You seem like a pretty nice guy Ryoga. But I think you should apologize to Mars yourself." She said calmly. "Since you knew me I'm going to assume you knew that girl who just ran off was her. Her name is Rei if you meet her again."

"I… ok. Thanks." Ryoga muttered looking down.

"I've got to run. But it was nice to talk to you Ryoga." Usagi said quickly. She glanced around to see where Rei had run off to and did manage to notice a red skirt sticking out from behind a tree three blocks down the road.

It appeared to be quivering.

"I… alright. Next time I see her… I'm… sorry. Sorry to bother you!" He finished quickly and ran off to the east conveniently forgetting that South had been the direction Rei had pointed out to him.

"What a strange guy…" Usagi thought as her state of mind began to trail back into usual thought patterns of the original sixteen year old Usagi. "Cute though!"

She ran up and caught up with Rei hiding behind the tree.

"Rei! How could you just run away on me like that!" Usagi demanded in a pouting tone.

"I… I'm sorry, Usagi. I just… I saw him and… I remembered what he did and…" She shivered quickly and continued. "I panicked. Gomen nasai." Rei said with her head bowed, apologetically.

Usagi smiled. "It's alright. I can't say I wouldn't have panicked either. I didn't see you fight but your bruises afterwards were horrible… I forgive you." "I… thanks, buns." Rei stuttered as she lifted her head.

Usagi smiled again. Today perhaps wasn't her best day… but… it wasn't bad either.

She was feeling better already.

* * *

Akane stood on the pole. It was her favorite pole. It had a nice flat top with a tall sturdy unmoving fixture about it. She understood now why Ranma had stood atop the high spot so often. It's immaculate view. The wind blowing her hair back. 

The safe feeling of sturdiness. The feeling like she couldn't be touched.

This was why Ranma had enjoyed this pole that stood twenty stories from the ground.

It wasn't actually a pole. It was a cell phone tower with a large pole sticking out of the top as an antenna.

The city of Nerima was beautiful. Especially beautiful at sunset on a cloudless, sunny, yet cool day. But it was coming close to the point that she would not be able to view it from here. Seven months pregnant. They had decided that it would be best if she stop attending school. So every now and then her friends, loyal ones anyway, would stop by with her homework and help her with it and bring it back for her the next day.

She was doing quite well in classes, considering all that had happened to her. But she didn't know how much longer she could go on with the guilt. It had begun to eat her away along with one other feeling. A feeling of… manipulation. Like she was a pawn in a gigantic chess game moving where ever her manipulator assigned her. Possibly being sacrificed for a larger piece.

Cologne. Devious little worm that she was, had not returned. But Akane kept her guard up. She assumed that any day now, when she was at her weakest, Cologne would appear along with Shampoo.

And the Sailor Scouts. She had begun to suspect something wrong. Certain things were just not adding up. How in the world could she have become pregnant with Ranma's baby? Sure she had thought she loved the jerk, but the ONLY way for that to be possible would be if he… if he..

"Said it first." She said aloud to herself.

Suddenly she heard a scream. It was a joyous, happy scream that she had not heard in a little over half a year.

"SWEETO!"

"Oh no…" She thought and then in a very Ranma-ish style said simply, "… my life sucks."

And she hopped down from the pole, landing gracefully on the ledge ten stories down. And then jumping to the ground.

"Whatta Haul! Whatta Haul! Panties? Bras? You name it, I got it! Whatta Haul!" Happosai exclaimed joyously bounding from building to tree to ground.

"Ah! Sweet joyous rapture of the silky luscious - BANG!" Akane's fist collided with his face with a resounding echo and he stopped in midair clutching his impaled stomach, and then fell to the ground.

He coughed a few times before finally standing. It was odd that this time there was no crowd of women following him.

"Who dares do this to the Grandmaster of the- OH MY GOD, AKANE? What's happened to YOU?" Happosai cried.

Akane sighed and turned away facing towards the river letting the wind blow her hair around recklessly.

"Yeah yeah, rub it in already." Akane muttered.

"Heh heh heh… so Akane-chan. Who's the lucky guy? I bet I know! It must Ranma! It is isn't it!" Happosai exclaimed as he winked one eye and jumped up to nudge her in the shoulder.

"I… it is." She blushed turning away. She had it clinically proven to be Ranma's child, which scared her so much she couldn't stand it. How could she have killed the father of her baby? It… it just didn't make sense.

"OH HO HO! I KNEW that you two would make a GREAT couple someday! Well, where is he? Where's the lucky father? I've been gone for over half a year! I should have a good welcoming party so where -"

"Shut up!" Akane screeched.

"I… uh… A…ka..ne?" Happosai said cautiously. "Is… something wrong with Ranma?"

"Grandfather Happosai… can.. Can I trust you to keep a secret? If… if I don't tell someone soon I think I'll burst." Akane whispered as she fell to her knees looking down at the decrepit master of the Anything Goes School.

"Well, of course little lady. I wouldn't tell a secret from you if you asked me not to. But what do ya say we go somewhere more private hmm?" Happosai asked in a calm voice that he only used when he was serious.

"I.. mmhmm." Akane replied.

They jumped from house to house until they reached the top of a tall tower, too far up for anyone to hear them. A perfect place for a private chat.

"Jeez, I've been gone what? Eight months? I come back and my precious Akane-chan is seven month's pregnant, Ranma apparently gone, and a severe lack of… well… fight in the girlies… What's happened here, Akane?

"Well, Anyone else would tell you that Ranma was kidnapped. But… that's not what happened." She began.

"Oh I see…" Happosai replied.

"I… I…killed Ranma, Jijii." Akane said solemnly.

"You WHAT?" Happosai exclaimed.

"I killed, Ranma," She gulped.

"How?" Happosai asked angrily. "Why?"

"With my mallet." She replied quickly turning away from him yet again. "And... why... I can't remember."

"You KILLED him? What did the boy do? RAPE you?" Happosai asked enthusiastically.

"I… wait… that… that could be.. But. Ranma would never…" Akane said more to herself then to Happosai. Meanwhile Happosai studied her.

"Akane dear may I please ask you to sit down here for a minute?" He asked calmly interrupting her thinking-aloud.

"I… sure jijii. I… thanks for understanding." She said kindly.

"No problem dear. Please just sit here and relax." Happosai said still calmly. He guided her to what appeared to be a box containing a fan of some sort, mounted to the top of the building.

"Now I'll just give you a little massage here to relax you. You must have had a bad couple of months." Happosai said as he jumped onto a higher placed yet similar box that Akane leaned her back against.

"I.. thanks Happi." "Not a problem, Dearie." He replied as he massaged her shoulders.

"It's… so nice… to finally, aaahhh, that feels good... ahhh! Tell someone… that.. I… mmmmm…." Akane moaned. Under Happosai's aged shiatsu pressure point skill, Akane was quickly lulled to sleep on the make-shift bench.

"Now let's have a look here." Happosai said to himself as he placed his hands on her head. He closed his eyes and began to execute a technique far older then he himself. A mind reading technique.

He entered her mind, mixing their auras and he found many memories and dreams and thoughts. The dream she was currently engaged in involved her pet pig P-chan and Ryoga. Though apparently she still hadn't realized the connection between the two.

He searched further. Three weeks ago.

_"Hey Akane! How ya doin'?" Sayuri called._

_"Hmm, I'm pretty good actually." Akane smiled up towards her. It was always a good day when Sayuri decided to sit with her at lunch time. She… Akane didn't think she came around often enough. She sat under the same tree for lunch most days now it was the shadiest, not to mention closest to the lunch room, tree and everyone seemed to leave it open for her due to pity or congratulations or something like that. Nevertheless it was open and she loved it._

_"So… what do you think it's gonna be? Better yet? Wha'da'ya want it to be?" Sayuri asked. It was pointless to ask what Sayuri was asking about and it was equally pointless to ask her to stop asking. Akane wanted the baby to be a boy. She told Sayuri every day and the next day she was asked again, regardless._

_"Hmm." She sighed. "I want a boy, Sayuri. I told you yesterday!" She cried. "Yeah, but we gotta ask every day! Just for the pure sake of making sure what you would want." Yuka said appearing from behind the tree Akane leaned against._

_"I… well, ok. Thanks for caring you guys." Akane said._

_"No problem, Akane!" Sayuri winked._

_Akane smiled. Perhaps life wasn't all bad. "So what's up with Ranma? Ain't he coming back yet?" Yuka asked.  
"…"_

_"Damnit." Akane thought._

Happosai moved onward. Further back… six weeks. Further. Ten weeks. Further. Twelve and one half weeks and he saw it. A gigantic purple block with imprints on it. It looked much like a memory but was not. It was as if someone had taken Akane's true memories and put a block over them.

The next three months back were all blocked with different memories, generated by poorly placed and used, yet enormously powerful magic.

It was kind of sad, thought Happosai as he looked at Akane's memory alteration. Whoever had done this was an amateur with memory alteration. A more talented magician would have simply erased the memory.

But Akane's true memories remained.

Unfortunately, Happosai knew that he would not be powerful enough to remove a memory block with this much power backing it up. "Someone very strong yet, unknowledgeable and inadequate did this." He thought to himself. He left Akane's mind. He knew Ranma couldn't possibly be killed by Akane. Ranma wouldn't have let that happen. He was an in-grown martial artist. If it became truly necessary Ranma would bend his ki reserves to keep him alive in a comatose state, looking dead.

"Akane… Akane-chan wake up, Dear." Happosai said as he shook the girl gently.

"Uh.. Wha… what… what happened? I fell asleep? Oh.. I feel… weird." She moaned.

"Well, yes, that will happened when someone enters your mind…" Happosai said.

"Enters my… wait. Happosai you… you… YOU!" She screamed. She charged towards him preparing to kick him into the sky.

"Stop!" He shouted instantly flaring his aura for a brief second. And suddenly she stopped, mid-kick, and fell over on the top of the building.

"Happi you little, how could you do a thing like -" Akane began.

"Akane dear please forgive me but I had to make certain what you told me was true and from what I found it was not. There has been a long term memory block placed within your brain. What you remember is not the truth." He interupted quickly.

"I… but.. I KNEW IT!" She exclaimed. "Are you sure! Are you.. I mean… are you certain? Can you remove it?" She asked excitedly.

"I can't, and I know of no one who can. I'm sorry Akane-chan but if it's beyond my four hundred years it will take time to find someone strong enough to destroy a magical memory block that powerful." He replied solemnly.

"I.. oh… I… well"

"But I can assure you one thing!" Happosai said hastily. "Your man is alive. And, knowing Ranma, I'm sure he'll be home soon. That kid doesn't fall I tell you. I knew it the second I first saw him."

"I… thank you Jijii… thank you so much… I… I dunno what I'd have done if… if… I don't know how to thank you..." Akane trailed off.

"Don't mention it Akane-chan! All you need to do is let me keep this little piece of cloth and you are completely off the hook!" Happosai exclaimed holding up the bra that Akane KNEW she had been wearing not ten seconds previous.

"Why you little…"

"Akane-chan?"

"HENTAI!" Akane cried.

Happosai flew far into the fading sun with a loud cry. "NOW I REMEMBER WHY I LEFT THIS PLAAAAACCCCCEEEEEE!"

And then he was gone off to parts unknown.

Akane looked towards the last yellow lights of the red sun and smiled. "I knew I wasn't a killer. Arigato… Happosai."

She jumped down from the tower with a new mission. To find someone who could get rid of her memory block.

* * *

"I have just listened to much of the boy's story, lord Agelmar." Moiraine said quietly. "And I trust him. He seems so.. Young yet so old at the same time. He is carefree. Pure. I ask that you find someone to take care of him and teach him how to behave. And show him respect. He saved my life… he is owed that much." 

Lord Agelmar was as tall as any Shienaran, broad shoulders, strong arms, and had his hair tied back in a topknot. He wore a blue velvet cloak and leather boots. His brown eyes were hard and war-worn with a heavy and saddened look about him.

"Are you sure, Moiraine. My informants tell me that he.. Well.. That he was a she and that the she changed into a man! Is this not the Dark One's doing?" He asked.

"I do not believe so. He says he was cursed at a place called "The Springs of Sorrow" but I've never heard of the place." Moiraine told him. "Nonetheless, help the boy out. He is very old but he is a child to the outside world. He has been in solitary confinement for over a thousand years."

"A thou.! A thousand YEARS! That's… That's impossible!" Agelmar exclaimed.

"Nonetheless again. Help him find a place to stay tonight. I must be off. I have spent too much time dawdling today." She said quickly.

"The eye of the world. Once again are you certain you can find it?" He asked with uncertainty.

At the shake of her head as confirmation he continued speaking so as not to offend her.

"Ah yes, I suppose you're right Moiraine Sedai. May the light illumine and protect you. Have a safe journey." He said.

"You as well Lord Agelmar. Knowing you, I would expect no less then to see your victory at Tarwin's Gap." Moiraine said.

"You try to boost my spirits… My men will die and Fal Dara will fall from this battle in the Gap." He said.

Moiraine looked closely at the man and thought she noticed the slightest glimpse of a tear in his eye but it was blinked away as fast as she had noticed it. "Lord Agelmar… if anyone can escape the Dark One's hand in battle it is you." Moiraine said in what she hoped was a helpful attitude.

"Yes… I suppose so. Thank you, Moiraine Sedai. You must be going though. I will help the boy." He said.

"Thank you as well, Lord Agelmar. Perhaps I shall see you again soon." Moiraine said contentedly.

"Perhaps." Agelmar replied.

* * *

"So you are Ranma? The girl who became a boy. There are rumors spreading like wildfire in my city about you boy. So… what are you? A boy or a girl?" The man asked. 

"I. uh… well. I think I… no… I'm pretty sure I'm I guy." Ranma said. "Um… are you lord Agelmar?"

"A… guy?" Agelmar thought, not understanding the word but he dismissed it. "Yes I am Lord Agelmar, ruler of Fal Dara. And, I suppose I must find someone to keep you for this night. It will be quite difficult considering the stir you've cause among my people…" Agelmar trailed off.

"Gomen Nasai." Ranma said quickly.

Agelmar looked at him, confused. "Oh uh.. I'm very sorry. It means, I'm very sorry." He said nervously.

"Well, Ranma. I think I know just the person who will give you a roof to rest your head under for this night." He said.

"Really? Um… who?" Ranma asked biting his finger.

"Blademaster Aron always welcomes a guest. I think he will be glad to have you for tonight." Agelmar told him.

"Oh… well.. Thank you Mister Agelmar." Ranma said.

Agelmar was almost offended by the slack, unimpressed name Ranma had given to him. He was LORD Agelmar. But then he recalled Moiraine's words and decided to simply reprimand him this time.

"My name is Lord Agelmar. I am afraid I must ask you to call me this at all times. Talk to a lord like that in Cairhien or Tear and you might just get your head cut off!" Agelmar said pleasantly.

Ranma gulped. "Ok sir… UH I mean uh… Lord.. A..gel..mar." She stuttered even more nervously then before.

Agelmar laughed on the inside at the plight of his seemingly young charge. This boy couldn't possibly be that old!

"Ah here we are. Master Aron, peace favor your sword." Agelmar said bowing slightly to the man he had just approached.

"Why Lord Agelmar, your presence warms me! What brings you here at this time of the day?" He asked suspiciously.

"I have a charge for you. I was hoping you would be able to keep this man under your roof for the night." Agelmar said with a practiced tone as if he had done this before.

"Ah well, you know, new faces are always welcome under my roof. What be the lad's name?" He asked.

Ranma studied the man. His accent was so awkward. It reminded him of some pirate on some childish television show but still he seemed like a nice man.

"This is Ranma. He is the boy all the rumors were spreading about." Agelmar said as he pushed Ranma in front of him.

"Uh… hi. I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry bout' this." Ranma said, still nervously.

"The one who they said was a girl? Who changed into a man? He's the one?" Aron asked curiously.

"Yes, though I have not seen it for myself. Will you take him? Moiraine Sedai says that he is trustworthy." Agelmar said patiently.

"Of course I will. You know me, Lord Agelmar!" Aron exclaimed.

Agelmar turned around quickly and, looking back over his shoulder said, "Yes, it seems that I do. Thank you, Master Aron. I must be going now. Tomorrow's battle at the Gap is beginning to worry me." With that Agelmar, turned and walked down the street.

"So lad, I must ask… is it true that you are truly a woman?" He asked curiously as he fiddled with a sword. Ranma was glad she had remembered what the shiny pointed things were though fortunately she concealed it this time.

"I'm.. not sure... uh.. I can turn into one..I can show you if you would like?" Ranma asked, tentatively.

"No no no first you must meet, my family. Please, come in come in!" He said merrily.

Ranma smiled. "Ok!"

Aron placed his hand around Ranma's shoulder and walked him over towards a small wooden cottage a few meters from where they had just stood.

* * *

SPLASH! 

The ecstasy of being a male left her and she felt sort of cold compared to the raised body heat of her earlier form. Yet still, being a girl and having her perfect balance back set her at ease.

"Wow. So… it's a curse?" Tio asked.

"Tio, it's is time for you to get back to your sword practice. You are bothering out guest." Aron said. Tio pouted a little, just like most eight year old boys would, but still he went of to his cot in a small room near the back of the cottage. Aron's two other daughters, Saniah and Sarlith had both been sent to their room immediately upon their introduction to Ranma which Ranma was thankful for.

They had been eyeing him with lustful eyes. No matter how much time went by Ranma never forgot the look of lust in someone eyes.

Tio Bladesback was Aron's son. Though it seemed his wife was dead, Aron appeared to be quite the family man, tackling three children at once. He had called this work easy, compared to when his two other sons had still lived with him, though they had now moved out and actually left Fal Dara in search of something better.

"Yes it's just a curse. I really can't remember how I got it. I just know it came from a place called the… Springs of Sorrow. It's really not all that bad. Just… uncomfortable." She replied happily. "Thank you again by the way Mister Aron! I'm glad you let me stay with you!"

"Not a problem Ranma. It… It doesn't really matter much anyways. I think we will soon have to retreat from Fal Dara." He said sadly.

Fortunately Aron had already seen Ranma's transformation and was not surprised by it this time. He had complimented Ranma's female side and Ranma, still unsure of what to do in that sort of situation, blushed and said. "I… I'm a guy, sir… uh… Master Aron."

He had laughed it away by saying "Of course, of course!" several times and then changed the subject as Ranma turned herself back into a man with hot water.

"Retreat from Fal Dara? But it's such a strong looking city… why?" Ranma asked.

"Tomorrow," Aron said solemnly, "Fal Dara, once again will wage war with the Blight. But this time the Blight stirs. Many thousands of Trollocs and Halfmen are gathering. I do not think that we will win this battle, many Shienarans will die tomorrow. Perhaps it is our time. As the Aes Sedai say, "The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills." Perhaps it is our time." He repeated.

"But… but then… I… People will die? How? Why?" Ranma asked.

"Ha ha! Why? Trollocs will attack and someone must defend. Otherwise the entire world will be over run!" Aron laughed.

"Trollocs? What are these… trollocs anyways? Machin… told me of them. He said they were great green monsters but he didn't believe they truly existed." Ranma told him.

"Oh they definitely exist. My wife was killed… well… let us not get into that depressing subject. We should live while we can." Aron said still keeping his tone happy.

"I… Ok…" Ranma said.

They sat in silence for a moment, drinking in the moonlight.

"People are gonna die!" Ranma suddenly exclaimed.

"Of course. That's what war is all about, lad, er… lass. Why does it seem to anger you so much?" Aron asked curiously.

"I… I want to fight. I want to see these trollocs for myself!" She said angrily.

"Well, don't be too hasty child. Can you fight?" He asked in a parental sort of protective voice.

"I… a little." Ranma said. She didn't know why she said it but somehow being humble seemed the better choice to acting superior.

"Well, the let's see what you have." Aron said as he tossed a sword to Ranma, which she grabbed instantly.

"Hmm, good reflexes." Aron noted.

"I.. uh.. I'd rather fight unarmed." Ranma said cautiously.

"Unarmed? I… have done it before but I'm mostly only accustomed to the sword. I can't fight unarmed very well.." Aron said.

"No no, it's ok. You use your sword. I.. I sort of want to see how good I've gotten." Ranma said.

"Hmm… Well, alright. Let's see what you have got." Aron said challengingly.

Ranma's eyes lit up.

"Your on!" She cried. Aron didn't know what the phrase meant but he supposed it was a challenge or taunt based on the smirk decorating the girls face.

They stood in the center of an open yard facing each other.

"Alright then lass, don't think, I be goin' easy on you because you're a girl at the moment." Aron said.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Ranma replied.

Aron decided to start off with a light and slow arm up and sliced right across and down with his blade, which he was glad to note that Ranma easily dodged.

Suddenly she was gone and in an instant Aron flashed around placing his sword hilt up, leaving the point towards the ground. Ranma stood for a split second on the flat end of the blade crouched. He had blocked her kick, but barely. This girl was fast.

"I underestimated you." He said.

"I get that a lot." Ranma replied, words from what seemed like a past life flowing to her lips as exhilaration filled her. The rush, the excitement, the challenge.

The will to win.

This was her life.

She flashed towards the blade master like lightning, and tapped her foot into his face, then twisted around and re-kicked lightly with her other foot.

Ranma saw it happen in slow motion but she had not expected it. His neck snapped like butter. Eyes rolling into the back of his head. He slumped to the ground, neck twisted half way around his head.

There was no doubt about it. He was dead.

"Oh my god… what.. What have I done?" She backed up slowly… away from his corpse.

"Blademaster Aron!" Came the cry. It must have been a split second after he died but the shout came. The man ran towards the fallen blade master and looked at his lifeless body.

A few tears spilled out of his cheeks. But he quickly spun around and glared a look of hatred at Ranma.

"You… you killer! Darkfriend! I knew we shouldn't have trusted you the second I saw your twisted magic!" Said the man, whom Ranma had never met.

"I.. I… I didn't mean it… it was a mistake! I'm sorry… I can't.. I… I…" Ranma tried to reason.

The man didn't let her say another word. He ran full speed at her, sword drawn ready to slice for a kill. "I WILL KILL YOU!"

"I DIDN"T MEAN IT! FORGIVE ME!" Ranma begged as she leapt to the sky, over the high walls and dashed as far as she could through the forests further and further to the north, trying to run away from her shame.

For hours, maybe days, she ran onward until the sun fell from the sky tears flowing from her eyes. Sooner or later she slowed and slumped to her knees.

"How could I.. how could I have… I… I… sorry.." She whispered. She held her face in her hands begging herself that this was all just a dream.

She had hit Machin like that and he had shrugged it off without a second thought! But he had had two centuries of martial arts training! She was such a complete woolhead.

First day of freedom, and she already managed to kill someone who had freely taken her in. She was a monster… spent too much time alone… to much training. Too strong…

Perhaps she didn't belong with other people. Perhaps she was… meant to be alone. Maybe Pluto was right in banishing her…

For the first time in her life… Ranma had no goal.

She lay on the grass, crying for hours. Pluto was right to banish her.

Pluto was…

Right…

* * *

Ryoga was tired. He had tried to find Akane but for some reason it was taking hundreds of times longer than usual. It was coming to the point where Ryoga was thinking that… that… 

That…

Maybe he didn't really WANT to see her. Not like he used to anyways. Akane… a… a killer? Even if it was that dirty Ranma she killed… it… it just wasn't right.

And then there was one more thing. Ranma himself. Him? Dead?  
"Ranma can't be dead." He told himself firmly.

Three weeks previous he had decided to embark on a new quest. To find Ranma. Ranma had to be somewhere. Now the only question was where. Where in the hell was he?

So he searched. Usually if he searched for Ranma for about a week he would find him. His horrible sense of direction seemed to work for him like that. He was always there when something important was happening.

Well if anything was important this was.

Unfortunately…

Three weeks of searching for him in particular and still no sign of Ranma. Ryoga was getting desperate. He needed his rival… otherwise… what… what would he do?

"I have to find Ranma." He thought to himself.

So he wandered onward from village to village. Stopping in every one asking around for a boy with black hair or a girl with red hair tied in a pigtail.

No success.

So here he now stood. In the middle of a dense jungle.

"Oh jeez.. It's so hot!" He thought to himself. He looked around and noticed a monkey swinging around in the trees. He really was in the jungle just like he had thought.

"Heh ha! My sense of direction IS getting better!" he thought.

Suddenly ahead of him he saw a river. "Oh alright!" He thought to himself. He ran forward and sure enough, there was the river in all of it's cold glory. He dunked his head in straight away to relieve himself of the agonizing heat of the midday sun.

He pulled his face from the water and let out a long loud and happy laugh. It had been almost half a day since the last time he had seen a river. He had lost the last river. It had appeared to flow to the right but when he followed it that way it some how managed to turn to the left and disappeared from him.

"Well! I won't lose it this time!" He thought to himself.

He looked around when he suddenly heard a voice.

"HEY! What the heck are you doin' you idiot? Don't you know that's the cage where the wild lions are kept!" Came the shout from somewhere behind him.

And suddenly three enormous lions appeared.

"Oh jeez, I thought Lions lived in the wild plains of Africa… not in the jungle… hmm.. Oh well.

"You idiot move! They're wild! They'll eat you alive!" Someone shouted again.

"Hmm… I know I hear someone shouting at me… but.. Nah! It's probably just a figment of my imagination, I'm deep in the jungle! Who would possible be here!" Ryoga thought.

He jumped forward and slammed his fist down on the first lion's head, then the second one's, and then the third knocking them into unconcious bliss.

"Well, that was easy." He said.

"Get out of my Zoo!" Said a janitorial looking man appearing right in front of Ryoga.

"Huh? Za… Zoo?" Ryoga exclaimed.

"Yes Zoo? Where did you think you were? The jungle? Now come on! This way!" The man said.

Ryoga glanced to the left and saw a large glass fence and a bunch of faces looking at him through it.

"Uh.. Hehehheheheh! Hi!" He waved.

Suddenly the man grabbed his arm and began to drag him towards the exit.

"Come on mister popular." He said angrily.

Ryoga found himself back on heavily populated streets in no time.

"Jeez, what was his problem?" Ryoga asked the air. "Hmph, oh well." He turned and continued walking glancing at the grocery shops and other such places along the way, hoping to fill up on his supplies. He had been in that jungle for quite a while.

Suddenly the scenery changed. And he knew it had happened again. He didn't know what it was but, as always, he warped from one place to a completely different place. There was a good chance he was on a different hemisphere of the world.

Usually when he really wanted to be somewhere he would simply pop up there, no matter where it was. When it happened he always felt so full… powerful. And, it did happen quite often so he was used to it by now. The queasiness of the movement. The incredibly powerful and light, yet sickening feeling that he had learned to know by heart. It was helpful at times. Sometimes he popped up at the most convenient times.  
It still irked him that he never seemed to show up to the challenges he issued on time. But at least he was always there for life threatening situations and the like.

He walked on a little ways and quickly realized that this place was… different. The plants leaves were.. Awkward. Yellowed, some black. The trees were dead and the air was smoky.

It was well into nightfall here and the stars looked beautiful to Ryoga except for the great black cloud towards the east… or was it the south? He walked on a little further and realized that there was a horrible stench in the hazy yellow-white fog of the warm night.

He saw a plant that had a few berries on it. He was about to pick them but something told him that they weren't right. They were, foul. Poisoned.

He pulled his hand away and continued on.

"What is this place?" he thought. It wasn't like any forest or jungle he had seen before. This place was.. Dead.

And that's where he saw her.

She lay on the ground whimpering and repeatedly moaning, "She was right… she was right… she was right…"

"Oh my… Ra? Ranma? Is that you?" Ryoga asked calmly.

The red-haired girl twisted her head and looked at him.

"Go ahead and kill me… I deserve it. I'm sorry.. It was an accident… I didn't mean it. I'll never fight again… I swear it! I swea.. I swear.." She moaned.

"Ranma… what's.. What's happened to you? Where are we? Akane said she'd killed you -"

"AKANE!" Ranma scream as she ran towards the man. "You KNOW Akane?" She asked as she clung to his feet.

"Of course I… Ranma what sort of trick are you trying to pull here? Where the heck are we!" Ryoga demanded. "And… why exactly did you just swear never to fight again?"

"So… your not from Fal Dara?" Ranma asked.

"RANMA! What in the heck are you talking about!" Ryoga demanded. "I'm from Japan! Where else would I be from?"

"Japan… Japan… you… you're… I know you. I know your face. You… AH, It's been SO long… I'm so tired…" She muttered somberly.

Ryoga was trying to hide his shock. This beautiful, long haired, pigtail-less girl was definitely Ranma. She responded to the name but… what had happened to her? "I'm… Ryoga… Ranma you don't… you don't remember me?" He asked almost fearfully as he crouched down to look at the dirt covered girl clinging to his leg.

"I'm… sorry. I vaguely recall the name… but it's just been "

"How DARE you forget your greatest rival!" Ryoga exclaimed as he lifted her by her collar.

"I'm sorry… I can't do anything right. Just… just kill me and get it over with." She said sadly, tears still streaming down her face.

"Ra… Ranma.. Are… You have to tell me what's happened to you. Ranma." Ryoga said, realizing the seriousness in his… 'gulp' fr… frie… friend's attitude.

"I… I… you are really from Japan? And you really know Akane?" Ranma asked again.

"Of course I know Akane! I talked to her just a few months ago! Don't you remember anything?" Ryoga questioned. "Tell me what has happened to you… Ranma."

"I don't know where to begin. But… well, I… I just… killed that man. He was so kind to me.. But. I killed him!" Ranma cried.

"You what! Ranma how.. How could you do a thing like that?" Ryoga demanded.

"I… I got two strong. I just… tapped him and his neck, it… it…" Ranma stuttered as she collapsed in tears yet again, though this time it was on his shoulder. She grasped him in a hug, though she made sure the embrace was as light as she could possibly muster, and her tears flowed by the gallons.

She muttered the words "I'm Sorry." over and over again.

"Ranma…?" Ryoga asked when she had somewhat settled down.

She now sad on her knees facing him towards him though looking down.

"Ranma, at home… they think you were kidnapped by Sailor Pluto though… Akane seems to think that she killed you. But you don't seem dead to me." Ryoga said in what he hoped was a cheerful tone.

"It was… it was Pluto… I've wanted my revenge for so long… but now…" Ranma said.

"So… it was Pluto then… that means that girl DID mess with her memory!" Ryoga exclaimed.

" "Sniff" Mmhmm, an.. I could never do anything, "AHCHOO!" About it.." Ranma sniffled.

"So… where have you been?" Ryoga asked patiently.

I've been alone… I was.. It was a prison… I waited there for… Eighteen thousand… years… but I broke out when I found out about Pluto messing with Akane's memory… and "

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold the phone! Your telling me that you've been in some prison for Eighteen Thousand YEARS?" Ryoga exclaimed.

Ranma nodded. "And… and I could watch my home… through the book…"

She pulled out the book. It was still perfect in condition. Not a single bent page, even though they were all blank except for the center page.

"Here… See. Your seeing through the eyes of Setuma Ayo. He goes to Tokyo university… he… he cheated o his girlfriend three days ago. It was…

"So your telling me that you've been just watching this book for Eighteen thousand years? And that's… all you did?" Ryoga asked. That was impossible? Eighteen thousand years? That was impossible!

"I… I trained a lot. I got to where I could light up the prison for as far as I could see!" Ranma exclaimed trying to sound like she did something of an accomplishment.

"And… and then what?" Ryoga asked now truly not believe his former rival.

"Well… I… I spent another two thousand in the Ways… but… but I got out yesterday… I thought it was a great present for my birthday… but… but now I'm not so sure."

"Your… birthday?" Ryoga asked.

"I'm…. twenty thousand years old yesterday…" Ranma muttered.

"Ok, now I KNOW your making this up!" Ryoga exclaimed.

"But it's… it's… true… And then I… killed.. I… can't believe... I..." Ranma returned to her constant babbling of denials and I'm sorrys and forgive mes.

Suddenly they heard a shout.

"Yes! She ran dead north! The little sex changing witch! I knew she would be trouble and not twenty minutes after she's here one of Fal Dara's best swordsmen is dead! I'll kill her, him!" The voice said as if it couldn't decide.

"They're gonna kill me. I.. I deserve it… Ryoga." Ranma said as she quickly remembered his name.

Ryoga looked back at the shadows of the three or four men.  
"Lets hurry, come on Ranma I want your full story and your not dying until I get it." Ryoga demanded.

He grabbed Ranma and carried her further to the north. Fortunately, his feet took him in the right direction for once and soon the men were so far behind it would take them a day to catch up.

They continued talking deep into the night and well into the wee hours of the morning, finding out what had happened. Ranma tried to catch every little slip of information on Akane he could but Ryoga wouldn't talk about he girl too much.

Soon they decided it was time to go to sleep causing Ranma to simply shuck her clothes and lie down on the grass, leaving Ryoga with something right next to a heart attack to deal with.

Whatever feminine modesty Ranma HAD had before her imprisonment, had obviously been washed away with eighteen thousand years of nakedness.

"Ranma… everything is different now." Ryoga thought. As he went to sleep he couldn't help let his thought, not to mention his eyes, wander over her naked body.

She was very beautiful, especially with long hair.

He quickly turned away thinking of Akane as much as possible and waited for the next morning to come.

"What an interesting day…" Ryoga thought as he fell asleep. "I never thought I'd feel sorry for Ranma in my life but… wow… Eighteen Thousand Years… I know I'd go insane."

His eyes closed and he slept peacefully. His mission, his first one that had come from when he had first met Ranma, was fulfilled. Ranma's happiness had been destroyed.

Poor Ranma.

* * *

Ranma didn't do it consciously. It was a reflex that made her move. The blade sliced down into where her neck had been just seconds before. She flared her aura towards the thing and it exploded blasting it's insides all over the trees behind it. 

Looking over she saw that the same fate that would have befallen her, were it not for her ungodly reflexes, was about to happen to her newfound companion. Her eyes narrowed.

This great green monster was no human. And it threatened her friend. It had reason to be killed, considering it was about to slice of Ryoga's neck.

It's head fell to the floor as a disk of white light flew from her outstretched palm removing the said body part.

"So you're a trolloc?" Ranma thought as she looked at it's bloody head.

"AH AH AH AH AH? What the heck is going on?" Ryoga cried as he pushed the enormous body off of his hand. He wiped some of the slimy blood from his left hand, which was the only thing the headless body had landed on fortunately, and looked at the thing with disgust and horror.

"I think it's.. a… trolloc. It almost got you but I killed it first…" Ranma said, though she flinched at the word killed.

"Ranma… I.." Ryoga stuttered

He was touched. He never would have shown Ranma the same kindness… but now…

"Come on!" Ryoga called to Ranma. "I think I hear something from this way!"

Ranma nodded and followed. They didn't travel far. The trees opened up to give Ranma the most magnificent sight she had ever seen.

"Oh my -" She started.  
"God." Ryoga finished.

On the right side of the valley, far below them, were thousands, no, tens of thousands of the green beasts, along with other, more fearful looking humanoid, black riders.

Meanwhile near the left of the valley were thousands of soldiers, dressed in full battle armor, ready for the war of their lives. "They're doomed." Ranma said solemnly.

"No kidding…" Ryoga replied.

"I… I have to help them… I have to get my redemption." Ranma said.  
She stood and held her hands into the sky.

"Ran…ma?" Ryoga asked.

"I'll kill them all. I won't let one Shienaran soldier die!" She cried.

And with that, Ryoga's vision exploded with the blinding light produced by Ranma's energy.

One by one Ranma blasted enormous spheres of ki down into the army, taking out hundreds at a time per each shot. When it became apparent that she wasn't destroying them fast enough she began to launch them two at a time from each hand.

"Oh my god… Ranma are you?" Ryoga tried to ask but Ranma paid no attention to him at the moment.

She hovered herself into the air for a better view of the craters and the monsters she had left to destroy, and while she didn't notice it, a veil of her ki wrapped itself around her.

She kept on firing, blast after blast after blast into the gigantic hoard of the ten foot tall giants with horns on their heads.

All of her bombs were exploding one by one as they impacted the ground. The trollocs and Halfmen, or black riders as they were commonly called, began to panic below, running backwards into the north. Their bodies flew everywhere in the explosions and shrapnel of Ranma's constant blasting. For almost twenty minutes Ranma blasted out each line of enemies until she had destroyed as many as she possibly could.

A cheer arose from the Shienaran army as they looked far up to the forested high ground on the right to see the girl encased in the blue light, firing the exploding blasts of magic into their enemy.

Ranma's aura flickered. And faded. She twittered about in midair as she ran low on her energy.

"I… can't I…" Ranma moaned. The lights disappeared, and the ki that wrapped Ranma faded. She fell, and would have slammed her head on the rocky ground below had Ryoga not caught her.

"Ranma… you did this all that?" Ryoga asked her unconscious form.

Ranma's lips curled into a smile and she whispered one phrase. "Thank you… for forgiving me…"

"Ranma… what have you become?" Ryoga asked her.

She smiled again.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

It was in this chapter that I realized just how HARD this is going to be. But I did it, I did. I hope you all enjoyed. 

I know Obsidian Fox Just came out with his next chap of Eldritch Asylum and you guys are tired from reading that but please if you will...  
**Review me too!**


	7. Names

I'm sorry my good readers. I've failed you. I've gone and (gasp) made a mistake. Just as Dogbercarrol expected me to with his review of my second chapter, the time travel thing has caused me an error. Granted I did easily repair it however… I am somewhat disappointed in myself. Fortunately, I have made no errors that are too important to the story-line as of yet. And since I won't be dealing in time travel… too much, I should be alright. 

**Silence-Darkness**: I'm sorry you feel that way. This last chapter was written with just about the same quality as the previous ones and spell checked quite well, though I do admit to a few "fuckups" as far as show not tell. Ex. Ryoga/Ranma talking far into the night. Should have elaborated. One more thing to say though as far as the time travel deal. Ryoga has not blitzed through time. Universe perhaps however time he did not. Will be explained.

**Rionach**: Hmm… well only one question. Did you finish my story or just read a few chaps and leave a review on the sixth chapter? If you finished it you would know that Ranma isn't stuck as a girl by the time you hit the fifth chapter. If you did then I'm sorry that you feel that way. I can't really make you like my fic but I'll do my best to add the right amount of sugar to your cup of tea until it's adequate. I like to think I've done a pretty good job but thank you for being honest in your opinion.

**Rui Costa**: Thanks for this review! I knew there would be someone out there who could check me on my WOT histories. Point 1: I looked around for a while after reading your review and found that you are most definitely correct. Caemlyn/Andor didn't exist until 1k + years after. Will change too. I have a back up in mind to fix the problem. (Manatherin would be good, your right… where else is there though?… hmm..)

Point 2: Eheh… ehehehh… a fuckup on my part. I'd never really looked at a description of Trollocs (up till you pointed this out) so I sorta just used the picture in my minds eye. Will change, sorry bout that!

Point 3: Lan can't sense Saidin or Saidar. Nothing contrary has ever been said (in the wot books that I have read) that one man, proficient in the use of the "oneness" could not sense another doing it. (Remember. Oneness, not Saidin. That's Rand's Void. Or Ranma's using of ki.) Ranma (Being the overpowered ki machine that she is) was detectable to Lan's senses. Point 4: Ah. You have delved into the future part of the story with this comment. No no, this is exactly what I want to happen. The reason Ranma does not feel the taint will be explained. If you think about it, it's quite simple but I'll let you guess.

**Obsidian-Fox**: Glad you read it! Also glad for the honest opinions. But well, for training, I believe Ranma would become far better due to ki enhancing exercise (meditation and the like) And six hundred years previous, her skill would have been improved yet with the six hundred years of wandering the ways alone, slackened. Her ki however, would just keep getting stronger. (Flame Dance Anyone?) As far as Akane goes… eh… I like Akane. I'm sorry. But I do. I believe she could. Hell I believe just about anyone could do what the set their minds to. (Ryoga beat Ranma a few times right? Mousse… just didn't have his heart in it.)

Oh well. Can't really use that as an excuse but I'll do my best to get rid of as much bad juju as possible kay? By the way reread Eldritch Asylum. Yeah. It pretty much kicks ass again, though last chapter was the worst of them. Hope for better on your next entry.

And So… On with the Show!

* * *

_And when the moon burns as red as dried blood, thus shall the firefly light be born. And with her power, through her line, shall live on the Lady of the Flames. Life and hope and savior of the world for the rest of the ages._

_Quote from "Firefly Light"  
A biography,  
By Dr. Matoro Konji,  
Published August 17, 2019 A.D. August 17, 0009 A.M. (After Merge)_

* * *

** Chapter 7: Names**

* * *

"PUSH!" Nabiki cried. 

"I AM pushing!" Akane snapped. "And if you say that one more time I'm hitting you with the mallet!"

Akane lay in a bed in the hospital not three miles north of the High School. She hated to admit it but her sister did have the right idea. She just wished her frantic older-sister would settle down and shut up.

Then again with her own moaning and the like she had little room to ask this of Nabiki.

"I see the head!" The doctor exclaimed.

Akane could do nothing in respect to that comment except moan. And no matter how much she told her heart to shut up and leave her alone… she wished Ranma had been here with her.

If for anything… his hand would probably be slightly stronger then the metal pole she had ground into the width of a toothpick with her clenched hand.

And as the pain receded and she was finally free of the child attached to her womb, she wished someone would tell her that he loved her.

"It's a girl, Miss Tendo." The doctor said patiently as he cut the umbilical cord.

"Akane… she's beautiful." Nabiki said in awe. Nabiki was impressed. Most babies tended to be ugly by nature but her words were genuine. It was a very cute bundle of blood and flesh. "I agree, Akane." Kasumi piped in. "What will you name her?" She asked as the doctor handed the baby to Akane.

"My little girl." Akane muttered ignoring everyone. She hadn't really thought about it until now… she was a mother. An honest to god, M-O-T-H-E-R, mother. Up till this moment all she had thought about was getting the annoying, kicking, hungry, demon out of her! But now…

"My little girl." Akane said again. She poked her nose and it sneezed and began to cry.

Akane was worried about it but the doctor assured her. "Babies cry when they're born. They all do. It helps them breath."

"What will you name her, Akane?" Kasumi repeated.

"I'm… not sure… but. Keika. Keika was the name I was thinking on." Akane said. Her eyes were still on her daughter as she addressed her sisters. "Either that or, Seisui," she added.

"I like Keika." Nabiki said. "I agree… "Pure Water" doesn't make such a good name, really. Though, don't you think Hotaru would be better?" Kasumi asked.

"No… I like "Firefly Light"… I like Keika." Akane said.

"Alright, is that what you have chosen?" The doctor asked. He stood and walked toward the exit. As Akane was about to answer "Yes" he interrupted her. "Perhaps you should think on it a little more. You don't get many chances to name your child."

"I… Hai!" Akane answered.

"Akane… should… should we let daddy in now?" Nabiki asked.

"I… don't know… you think we should?" Akane replied.

Nabiki shrugged. She wasn't sure what her father would do other then the fact that she was almost certain there would be tears involved. "If you want. I don't think he'll do anything too stupid except cry a lot."

"Daddy is rather excited isn't he?" Kasumi said happily. She glanced over at the door opposite the one the doctor had left through, where her father's face was glued to the small glass window trying desperately to see into the room his daughters resided within.

"I guess we should probably let him see her. Keika? Keika Tendo, Akane?" Nabiki asked.

"Keika… Saotome." Akane replied.

Nabiki backed up and gulped in her throat. She had discussed the memory alteration with Akane once or twice since Happosai's return, but she was still disinclined to believe it.

Who in their right mind would be so cruel as to make someone believe they had killed the person they loved?

And if so… Why?

* * *

Ranma drifted in and out of consciousness barely registering the group of people surrounding her and her companion. At first they had appeared friendly. Appeared as if they were going to call her a hero, but then that man saw her. 

Some of the men were hypnotized by her unnaturally pale skin, not to mention she was naked. Most had never seen such beauty in their lives, as they were always bound together with death.

One man however, did not see beauty. He saw filth. A murderer.

"You… You, It's the Darkfriend! Aron's murderer!" He had cried. Ranma, through her dizziness, sighed in despair. They wouldn't forgive her… how could they?

As she lamented she barely noticed Ryoga take up a guarding position.

"I may hate the bastard! But the only person who can ever kill Ranma is me! I'll be damned if anyone of you lay a finger on him!" Ryoga cried. As he did this his aura came into view, blazing a bright red.

The group of Shienaran soldiers had gathered around in an almost perfect circle around Ranma and the defending Ryoga with a radius of about ten feet due to their fear of Ryoga.

"Ooooh.." Ranma muttered. "My.. Head." Her hand strayed up to her head slowly and the Shienarans backed up. They had all seen her ungodly talents. Those and the fact that her companion appeared to be able to do something similar ,or the same, had kept them both alive so far.

Ranma moaned about her head, however, every part of her body ached with pain and soreness. Not just her head. She didn't spend that much energy all that often.

"She KILLED Aron Bladesback! She deserves to die!" Someone cried from the crowd. A roar erupted from the soldiers.

Ryoga had supposed that they were talking about the blade master Ranma kept speaking of. The one whom she had killed. He didn't understand a single word out of their mouths, however, save for that name.

"HOLD!" Came a shout. Blades were instantly drawn back at this man's order. Ryoga didn't recognize him or his clothing but they appeared to be of some sort of ruling class. Royalty perhaps.  
Ryoga had finally figured out that he had somehow wandered into some backwater, third-world country. Based on the strange creatures Ranma had killed, it was very… backwater indeed.

The man came striding into Ryoga's view on horseback. They parted for him quickly. Some bowing their heads.

"So… I do not know whether I should kill or thank her." The man muttered to himself as he strode off of his horse. He walked up towards the girl but Ryoga stood between them, towering above the shorter man with his hair in a topknot.

Ranma could barely register him but it was obvious that she could see him. The second she recognized his face she twisted hers away mumbling, "Gomen Nasai.." over and over again. A tear or two trickled down Ranma's face. It was plainly obvious that it was a struggle for her to move.

"Who are you?" Ryoga demanded as he stepped between the man and Ranma, kicking back Ranma's body. He had let this man walk up to Ranma but was not certain if he was an enemy or a friend, so he backed into a fighting stance.

"Peace! I mean you no harm!" The man said. He raised his hands defensively.

Ryoga understood the gesture and slackened his stance but only slightly.

Ryoga realized that it was pointless to keep talking and so pointed to the remaining men who held their swords pointed towards him.

The man nodded. "Sheath your swords!" he cried. Ryoga had not understood the words but understood their meaning perfectly once it was done as fast as Ryoga could blink.

"May I pass?" The man asked. He pointed towards Ranma, hoping her guardian would understand.

Ryoga did understand. He wanted to see Ranma. He nodded slowly making sure not to let down his guard.

He walked up towards her.

"Lord Agelmar!" One of the soldiers cried. He swiftly silenced him with an open-palmed gesture. He walked forward at the same pace till he stood right over the teary-eyed Ranma. He knelt down to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched but kept muttering apologies.

"Girl… Boy… whatever you are. You… are owed a great deal of respect and honor. I do not know why you killed Aron but you saved the entire nation of Shienar as it is today. You will be welcomed back to Fal Dara, regardless of your past actions if you answer me why you killed Aron." Agelmar demanded.

"I… It was… an accident… I… can't… see… accident." Ranma murmured as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

Ryoga didn't understand any of Ranma's words and began to think that there was a slight possibility of truth to Ranma's insane story of the previous night. Ranma speaking a different language? Impossible!

Agelmar smiled.

"Ranma… tonight we feast on your behalf, savior of Shienar." Agelmar said as he turned to look directly at another man standing back in the circle behind his stallion.

"NO! She should die! She killed him! She killed - !" "SILENCE!" Agelmar cried, stopping the man dead in his tracks. "This girl single handedly destroyed the army that would have ended Shienar! Would you rather her have not done anything and have Shienar end up like Malkier? No! We live on thanks to her!"

Then with a joyous twist of his head he looked at the mass of his soldiers and cried. "Shienar! May you forever defend against the Shadow! Long Live Shienar! We Ride for Fal Dara!"

A roar erupted from the crowds as they accented to their Lord's demands. Many of them if not all, turned and began to walk back down towards the valley that Ranma had now discerned as Tarwin's Gap.

A smile of contentment came to Ranma's face. She looked at Ryoga and he dropped his defensive stance upon seeing her smile. She didn't know why she called him it but the name came to her as she was about to say Ryoga. "Thanks… P-chan."

Ryoga growled but for some reason, could not bring forth his usual anger at this weak and energy-less Ranma. The rival-slash-friend he had thought dead for almost five months. "Bring these two to Fal Dara. Give the boy a mount and food and water. Carry the girl. She is to be honored. She saved us all today…" Agelmar said to the same man again. The man nodded and went to do his lord's command.

Ryoga didn't really know what to do. The man walked up to him with a horse and a smile.

"Ak'matorma Asutren Sudo On" Ryoga heard a man who had approached Ranma say merrily as he covered her naked form with a warm blanket to fight off the biting cold.

"Nokarai." Ranma replied. "E sutra carol ento." Ranma replied. She tried to wobble to her legs but fell down on the hard rocks below her and let out a muted gasp.  
"E Toto No" He said. He bent down and slipped a hand beneath the blanket and lifted Ranma. Noticing Ryoga's look of distrust, Ranma muttered. "It's… ok… Ryoga."

Ryoga decided he would question Ranma later on the conversation as an enormous horse was guided right in front of him.

"Patrailia." The man said as he slapped the horse. Ryoga assumed correctly that this was the horse's name. "Enock incosutred noel. Case morofon en."

"Wayfinder." Ranma said translating to Ryoga as she was lifted onto a wagon. "He's a good horse. Take care of him."

"I… I will." Ryoga replied though he said it to Ranma instead of the man. He had never owned a horse before but he was no beginner with riding them. In fact he was rather good at it.

Ryoga jumped himself atop the horse. Suddenly he felt more at home then he ever had in his life.

* * *

She watched silently. She was almost, but not completely, certain that this was the red-haired girl from the ways. But how was that possible? 

The girl stood with fire blazing around her, dancing. She was one with the flames burning below her making them brighter and transforming them into a deeper shade of red.

Suddenly beside the image appeared a Dragon. It wrapped it's long neck around the dancing girl in a protective manner.

Again, suddenly, the red light of the flames surrounding the girl erupted blasting the dragon back. The flames along with the red aura disappeared, leaving just the girl. She wore a red shirt made of the finest silks from some far off land. They shined like no other clothing she had seen. She wore long blue pants tied together at the waist, and slippers looking much like tap shoes some of the more odd gleemen or dancers would wear.

Despite the obvious royalty of her clothing, no matter how good they looked on the pigtailed red-head, they were a man's clothes.

The red-head smiled and then walked away from her, fading into the darkness.

Suddenly a great splinter appeared and slammed into the side of the dragon, carving a deep wound into it's side.

The red-haired girl appeared again and the side of the dragon healed. Then both faded.

More images arose. A green haired lady of beauty unlike any she had ever seen, scantily clad in a uniform that showed more of her body than she dared to call decent. She stood in front of a great gateway. It was… frightening.

Yet again the red-head appeared and began to duel with the green-haired lady in intense hand to hand combat. The red-head flipped everywhere while the green haired woman let loose vortex like blasts at her opponent.

Suddenly the Red-head disappeared and a small circular purple light left the green-haired woman's body flowing out of her chest.

Yet another woman appeared. This one with blue hair. She was beautiful though she didn't hold a candle to the green-haired lady, and even the red-haired girl dressed like a man seemed more beautiful. However the two both grabbed the ball of light and tugged at it with all their might.

Then the images faded, leaving only one sparing glance at a child, no more than a year old, bathed in red light.

"GAH!" Egwene cried as she woke from her slumber. Dreams… she'd been getting more and more lately. What with Rand now seemingly the Dragon Reborn… who knows what they could have meant? She, Nynaeve, Moiraine, Lan, Mat, Perrin, Loial, and Rand had all traveled north, far into the Blight. They came upon a land that somehow, had not been consumed by the poisons and toxins of the blight, where they had met the Green Man of Legend.

They moved onward into the heart of this small patch of good grass and trees. The green man showed them to the eye of the world, where two forsaken had appeared.

And now, Moiraine had said that Rand, and not her, had been the one to eliminate them. That Rand Al' Thor was the Dragon Reborn. Lews Therin Kinslayer reborn into the flesh to battle the dark one once again. How had all of this happened? Why could she not tell Perrin and Mat about Rand?

The Green Man died killing Balthamel. Then, Aginor followed Rand upwards while they were left to tend to the broken Aes Sedai.

Then Rand returned saying that Ba'alzamon was dead? DEAD? The Dark one? Dead?

Rand was a man who could channel. This had been a thing feared since the Breaking over two thousand years ago when Lews Therin Telamon and the hundred companions sealed the bore in which the Dark One was imprisoned.

It had been no simple thing. The counter stroke of the dark one had left the male half of the Source, Saidin, tainted and foul, driving men who could use it's powers insane.

It had happened with Lews Therin. He had gone insane and killed all of his remaining relatives giving him the name, Lews Therin Kinslayer. He was also known as The Dragon.

And now that very same thing was destined to happen again? With Rand?

Egwene didn't know what to do. So she roused herself from her sleep and readied herself for another day's travel. They were almost back to Fal Dara. A half day's walk south and they would arrive.

* * *

Akane sighed as she lay on her bed, staring out the window. Three Fourteen A.M. On November the seventeenth, Keika was born. It was now about five in the morning and she couldn't sleep. 

Her search for someone to lift her memory block had come up in failure. However she had finally discerned what had happened. Or at least what must have happened.

Ranma had told her he had loved her. Things had progressed. Yatta yatta da de da. Until one day Shampoo noticed it, drugged Ranma, blocked her memory and left with him.

Or perhaps it was more heinous. Ranma raped her then went to Shampoo, erased her memory and then left with the Amazons?

Or perhaps… perhaps Pluto's kidnapping had been the real truth. Nabiki had said nothing to make this seem impossible or even improbable.

Any of these and more ideas sprang into her head as she lay still staring out her window. She got up and walked over to it, wanting to see more of the night sky hoping it would help her think.

Then in the distance, she saw the moon.

It was blood red.

Saidar took her and surrounded her in it's all powerful light.

"And when the moon burns as red as dried blood, thus shall the firefly light be born. And with her power, through her line, shall live on the Lady of the Flames. Life and hope and savior of the world for the rest of the ages."

Akane felt dizzy. All she had done was walked to the window and the second she saw the awkward colored moon, she suddenly became very dizzy and woozy. It was kind of confusing to her but she decided to disregard it.

"It must be an… ooooh… after effect of the… birth." She mumbled to herself as her stomach lurched.

She wobbled slowly back to her bed and fell down onto it, never noticing the doctor closing the door slowly.

* * *

Ranma was restless. She was glad she could finally walk again. But it wasn't enough. She wanted to dance the flames to restore her vast ki reserves but for some reason the annoying healer kept telling her to settle up and rest. 

She didn't need rest! She needed to Dance!

Ryoga was useless. He agreed with the healer, after she translated what the healer was saying, directly before demanding to know how she had gotten so much ki.

She repeatedly told him she had lived for twenty thousand years alone with nothing to do but train but he didn't believe her. He thought it was some special technique.  
She was glad when night fell and the army called for a halt. They set up camp quickly, in merry preparation for their glorious and victorious arrival at Fal Dara. There would be stories about Ranma and the Miracle at Tarwin's gap told for the next hundred years!

Maroga, the man who had lifted her into the wagon earlier that day had told her that she would be considered a hero and rewarded at Fal Dara.

She felt like no hero but happily replied, " I just wanted to redeem myself… I didn't mean to kill…"

Fortunately Maroga had not known Blademaster Aron Bladesback. "He was legendary with the sword but, accidents happen, child."

Maroga consistently called Ranma child after that whenever they talked. It annoyed her to no end but she never voiced that annoyance.

Ranma now lay in her bed again, as walking still made her limbs ache a little. But it was about time she stopped all this nonsense. She could heal herself instantly if she could just get to a fire…

She stood and wobbled to the tent entrance.

She walked out of the tent quickly so as not to distract anyone and moved stealthily and unnoticed until she saw a fire. Where there was fire there had to be something to make it with. The flint and steel were found easily enough though she assumed they were not called that here. Ranma quickly stole them and moved off into a wooded area two hundred meters from the farthest edge of the camp.

"Here should be good." She thought. She gathered a few logs quickly and had the fire crackling in no more than five minutes.

She quickly removed her shoes, looked at the flames for a few moments, and then stepped into the blazing fire.

The dance took over her instantly. It had been a very long time since she'd had to do something so strenuous. The flames moved her and she flowed and danced, encasing her entire form. The flames grew to a great bonfire encasing all of her body making her seem like an angel of fire. The flames never touch her skin and wherever the flames blew she followed, taking in their energy and gathering it as her own.

The fire grew brighter and spectators appeared. Instead of attacking they watched in awe as a child's story they had grown up with erupted before their very eyes, but Ranma didn't care.

It had been far too long since she had danced the flames.

Ranma gained more energy, and as she danced the flames grew higher still, attracting the entire camp to stare at the bright light rising over head embracing the trees yet not burning them. The soldiers were whispering amongst each other. The children's tale had come true. Whispers, stories parents told their children. Story's about the Legendary Lady of the Flames, the lady who commanded fire. It had long been thought to be just a children's story. A children's song told by gleemen…

A soldier began humming a short tune and it was soon carried on till many began to chorus it.

Meorco se flam viv lon,  
Seosindara tor seon,  
Latt'e este floren ensoto siod,  
Meorco Se Flam viv lon.

Meorco se flam viv lon,  
Creed orcul lun,  
viven se sol,   
Meorco se flam viv lon.

* * *

Ryoga watched in as much awe as any of the others from atop his horse. He, like every other man, had been attracted to the great fire not two hundred meters into the forest next to the clearing they had set up camp in. 

And what did he find? None other than his most hated rival, naked once again, dancing within a great bonfire.

Ranma was… a demon or angel… something not human. Ryoga remember a time when Ranma burned his hands learning the Chesnut Fist. Ryoga remembered watching from his position in Akane's hands.

Remembered a time when Ranma moved more like a man than a woman.  
This was not the Ranma he remembered. This Ranma was… older… wiser…

Breathtaking…

"Ranma…" He muttered.

When the soldiers began to sing Ryoga didn't understand a word. And he so wished he could. This new language was odd to him. He had never had problems with language before… he assumed he just knew all of them because no matter where he went he always spoke the right language… except here.

_"The Lady of the Flames Lives On,  
She lives through suffering,  
As the wheel be ignoring,  
The Lady of the Flames Lives On."_

"Who said that?" Ryoga demanded.

He looked around but found no one nearby who was paying him any attention.

_"The Lady of the Flames Lives On,  
Cast into darkness,  
Dwelling in madness,  
The Lady of the Flames Lives On,"_

Ryoga became almost afraid. He dismounted, somehow feeling quite lonely upon doing so, and then entered his tent, wary of the voice following him.

His horse whinnied anxiously but, of the voices, he heard no more.

* * *

The Lady of The Flames danced late into the night. Long after even the most amazed watcher had shut their eyes. The biting cold of the late Winter air did not bite one soldier that night. 

Ranma finished her dance, coming out of the deep ki-induced trace, to the sound of crackling fire in the deep dead of night.

She walked out of the flames, which instantly reduced to a much less bright light, to find that the center of the camp had been moved. Sleeping men surrounded her. A few sentry guards were awake. A few of the few glanced her way and smiled in a most, un-gentlemanly way.

However most of the few guards still awake stayed vigilant.

Ranma had been told that this was the greatest of the borderlands who fought the forces of the blight. They had to be good at something to get a title like that.

She quickly entered a random tent and stole a pair of clothes. Dressed in old and rugged leggings and a light tunic she walked outside. Put out the remains of her fire, clearing away the soot and ashes. Directly where it had been, after the ground was cleared, she sat cross-legged, and closed her eyes.

* * *

Lord Agelmar watched the girl as she stepped forth from her bathing in the flames. Watched as she sat cross-legged and closed her eyes tight in the midst of the sleeping soldiers, tents and other camp fires. 

He was as awed as the rest of his men of course, however, his awe was about something completely different.

"As far back a seven hundred years. It was an old prophecy." He thought to himself. Long ago, before Shienar was the closest nation to the blight, a great Aes Sedai came to their region.

_"The Lady of Undying, The Lady of the Flames, Flare Dancer, shall come when the moon is blood red, at the break of winter. As the Lord of the Morning faces the Dark One, Nae Blis shall duel The Lady of Undying. The Lady Once Man. She and The Lady of Time will lead the world to Tetra Ode. Should she be named and marked, She and The Lady of Time will lead the world to Tetra Ode. Name her O Shienar, or all will fall to Darkness once more…"_

The Aes Sedai known as Conesuin had left this prophecy… this, "Foretelling," and, for the most part it had not left Shienar save for in rumor and a few gleeman songs. The Lord of Shienar had recorded the prophesy and kept it safe, passing it down through the generations.

"So it begins… You shall be named." Agelmar thought.

As he wandered closer to his tent he looked into the sky, and couldn't help but notice the moon was blood red.

"You shall be named." He whispered. With that he entered his tent for a good night's sleep.

* * *

"Good, now… close your eyes… it's easier if you close your eyes at least for the first time." Pluto said quietly. 

Her pupils did so.

"Now… if you're concentrating hard enough you should see it. The way to embrace it is to surrender to it. Let it rule you and you shall control it." She said. "I see it!" Mars exclaimed.  
"I knew you would first. You've learned ki… of course you would know how to properly concentrate." Pluto replied to her straining student.

"I.. I can't really… see it. But I feel something." Moon said calmly.

"You will gradually come to learn to control it. Just keep trying and soon you shall sense it by heart." Pluto said.

Neptune and Uranus were having no progress whatsoever. Saturn had come close. Mercury had it visualized and almost touched when suddenly.

BANG!

Pluto slammed her scepter into Venus effectively knocking the poor blonde unconscious.

"Pluto!" Moon demanded angrily.

"She had embraced it. She was taking too much. If you take too much you could be stifled or even killed by the power. Let me train you Princess. I know what I am doing." Pluto said.

"… Don't you think you could come up with a… better way to stop her than knocking her unconscious?" Moon asked calmly once more.

"Short of guarding her from Saidar, no." Pluto said quickly.

Moon walked over to where her comrade lay unconscious and rubbed her head where it was swelling. A white light appeared from her finger tips and the bump on Venus's head went down some.

Moon pulled her hand away… "It's happening so fast…" She thought.

"Oohh… my head…" Venus moaned as she drifted into consciousness.

"Are you ok, Venus?" Moon asked patiently.

"Of.. Ahhh… course…" She moaned as she wobbled onto her knees back to the same position the other sat at, all of them save for Moon and Pluto with their eyes closed, concentrating hard.

"It was so… wonderful… I.. It enveloped me… burned me from within!" She moaned.

Pluto looked to her and said, "That is how it feels to embrace it. However, you must not take to much… if you do you could burn yourself out and make it so you never can embrace it again."

"How did you find out about this, Pluto?" Mercury asked, opening her eyes and looking at Pluto directly.

Pluto's answer was quick, and for once, true, "It comes to me when I am in dire need. And when it comes to me, people all over the world can start to embrace it. Though it never last's too long. As soon as the need is gone, Saidar will go with it.

"Why… why now? We have no enemies anymore!" Venus demanded.

"Because… there will be one enemy… though this one is a personal enemy of mine. I'm teaching you this so that after you are done learning, I can… request your aid." Pluto said almost solemnly. "You… don't have to aid me if you don't want to… Crystal Tokyo is now assured but…"

"Well of course we'll help you! You've helped us many times before right? Don't worry, Setsuna. We'll help you if you need it!" Venus said as she stood and faced Pluto.

Pluto smiled… "Thank you…" She whispered.

* * *

With the morning had gone the last traces of winter. Green grass was already rising below the soldiers feet. It was as if their victory had brought Spring back and it was trying to catch up with what Winter had took of it. Grass grew, trees became green, and flowers bloomed before the soldier's very eyes as the made their way back to their home. 

The arrival at Fal Dara was a magnificent and joyous one. Festivals, feasting, a few children's songs were sung many times.

A few assorted fine Ales were brought out and given freely by the Lord himself to all the soldiers in celebration of the "Deathless Victory". It hadn't truly been deathless as there had been a few casualties but there were no more than a dozen.

It was mid day when the army arrived and one hour past noon a messenger was sent to Fal Moran, where the women and children of Fal Dara had retreated, to tell them the great news.

Ranma sat on one of the towers, high in the sky, looking at the bright noon sun.

"So here you are." She heard a man say as he approached.

"Ryoga? How did you find me?" Ranma asked. Ranma was now hiding. She had received thank you after thank you and was half way to the point of being praised before she had had too much and skyrocketed her way up to the roof of one of the higher towers.

She was no hero. She was still a murderer. Yet they seemed to have forgiven and forgotten. How Ryoga had found her was a mystery. If she remembered right, Ryoga's sense of direction was horrid. Now that she thought about it, she had not spoke with Ryoga since she had

"I looked up. You always choose the air." Ryoga said as he approached and sat down beside her.

Ryoga had conveniently failed to mention the real reason he had found her. It was the grey stallion he had been given. It had taken him to the tower and it had acted as if it were looking up, granting him a glimpse of his target. It was a very smart horse.

"I… I guess I do." Ranma replied. She looked at the horizon longingly.

Meanwhile Ryoga looked at her in the same way. "Ranma you… you really have been alone for… twenty millennia stuck as a girl haven't you?"

"Yes." Ranma replied not looking towards him. "What made you believe me?"

"I… the dance. The Ranma I know… wouldn't have been caught dead doing that. But you…" Ryoga trailed off.

"I… Ryoga what type of person was I? Back when… before…" Ranma trailed off as well.

"You were an obnoxious jock who always thought you were better than everyone else! A jerk, a moron, a jackass, casanova who only thought of himself!" Ryoga said angrily.

"I… I'm sorry." Ranma said. "Am… am I still?"

"I… I don't think so. The Ranma I knew was a man but you…"

"I'm a man!" Ranma replied, swinging her head to face him angrily in the same way she once did, nineteen thousand, nine hundred and eighty two years before.

Ryoga chuckled. "You can't even stand up in your male form without falling face first onto the ground! How can you possibly call yourself a man?"

"I… but… I am. I'm still not comfortable in this form… I'm still. I still want to be…" Ranma muttered. She sighed and continued. "I guess your right. I… I do look really stupid as a man, walking like a girl and all…"

"Yeah… yeah you do, Ranma." Ryoga laughed. "I still can't believe you actually FORGOT that you were a man."

"I… I didn't forget! I always sorta knew… I always… felt like a guy… But I was a girl, so… in the ways… with… well I started to act like… the girls in… the book."

Ryoga began to laugh but at her glare he settled down and quickly decided to change the subject. "So… you really forgot all about Shampoo? Ukyo? Mr. Saotome? Even Kasumi?"

"I… Remember Kasumi! And… Ukyo… U… Uuchan? Shampoo doesn't really ring any bells though." Ranma replied.

"I'm… sorry to hear that. You, really liked Akane then?" Ryoga asked anxiously.

"I loved her." Ranma replied. "Though… I don't know anymore. There was Machin… and… well"  
The words felt even more right on his tongue than her declaration of masculinity.

"Machin? Who's that?" Ryoga asked, while quickly and unnoticeable changing the subject away from the one whom his heart owed affection too.

"Um… he's… he's no one! Bye!" Ranma cried as she instantly stood and jumped clear across the city to the other tower.

"Hey, wait!" But Ryoga could only watch in amazement as the girl landed so far away he could only barely make her out.

"Your… much less of a jerk… as a girl Ranma." Ryoga whispered.

He hopped down from the tower a story or three at a time, hanging by each stone-carved window till he hit the ground.

His horse was no where to be found so he decided to make his own way to Ranma on foot.

And suddenly he was five feet smaller, black and covered in a pile of his own clothing.

"Damn curse!" He muttered to himself. A man had just randomly flung an entire bucket of water directly behind him.

Fortunately no one had witnessed his change. He wobbled out from his clothes and searched around for a way to return to his human form without anyone noticing but found none.

Frustrated, he began to wander throughout the huge town and soon he was completely lost.

* * *

Ranma jumped down from the tower. She'd only been up there for about an hour, perhaps less, when she realized that Ryoga was not going to follow her. 

She hopped down and was greeted by a few men. "There she is! You see! I told you she was up on the tower!" One of them cried to the other as he pointed her out.

The men surrounding her were working hard for the upcoming events of the night, when their women and children would return, so fortunately, most were to busy to spare her more than a smile and a hello… she still received a few thank yous though.

She walked slowly onward throughout the streets that she was beginning to become accustomed to when suddenly she saw something that terrified her, though why she could not explain.

"DON'T KILL THAT PIG!" She cried!

The butcher holding the small piglet stopped, holding the knife in mid air above his head. In his left hand, he held down a small black piglet with a yellow bandana around it's neck.

"But… but… I found it wanderin' the city! There's no use for it! It won't get much bigger and I'm getting hungry!"

Ranma zoomed forward and snatched the pig from the man in the blink of an eye. Not noticing it looking at her with watering eyes.

"But but… Well… I guess I don't have much choice. You saved my life after all. May the light Illumine you and your pig." The man sneered, even though he did manage to place a smile on his face.

Ranma had no idea why she had saved the little piglet. But now that she thought about it…

"This pig looks exactly like the one in my carving… the carving was… RYOGA! Your cursed too! Now I remember!" She exclaimed. The pig nodded exaggeratedly.

A few people around her were startled by her out burst but she took off too fast to notice. She made it to her room in the north eastern tower and arrived in an instant to find a kettle already burning in the fire. The water had been placed there, as per her request and now she had a much more pertinent reason for using it.

She poured the water on her friend and watched as he grew into a full grown man, the man she had spoke with not more than an hour ago.

"Uh… heh heh… hi." She said awkwardly.

"I… thanks… Ranma." Ryoga said edgily.

An awkward silence followed in which Ryoga simply stood there, stock naked, as Ranma stood looking up at him.

"Well uh… since I've been here… I've seen you… "gulp" naked what… three.. Times now right!" Ryoga stuttered and an effort to break the silence.

"I… yeah." Ranma said. "Um… here! Here take some of these clothes!" She said as she gave him a pair of trousers and a shirt. "… Thanks." Ryoga said moodily.

He quickly put the clothing articles on and left the room without a word, to go find his bag and clothes.

Ranma breathed a sigh of relief upon his exit. She didn't know what she would have done if he had stayed. She probably would have bashed him over the head. All the girls in the book did it when they saw a naked man… or something of the like. Well… unless they were in love with said man. Then it was a completely different matter.

Most girls did…

She sighed. "I may want to be a man," She thought, "But I don't really think like one."

She sighed once again.

* * *

"Ranma Saotome of the Anything Goes School Martial Arts, on behalf of all of Shienar, I wish to thank you for all you have done." Lord Agelmar exclaimed. His voice echoed throughout the enormous hallway. Hundreds… thousands were gathered within the gargantuan room. 

"You will always be welcome in Fal Dara. May peace favor your sword, and may the light illumine and protect you." He said quickly.

"I… thank you very much." Ranma said quickly bowing her head low. She had gradually become able to walk as she stayed in her male form for the last half of the day, but changed back for the ceremony just in case she tripped.

The were still a little bit of chill in the night air that had not been present during the day but Ranma ignored it easily. "I would like to present you with this." Agelmar said suddenly. Drawing a small cloth of a long object lying on the table he stood next to.

"I… what. What's this?" She asked calmly.

Agelmar held the blade and unsheathed it in the blink of an eye with one fluid motion.

"This blade," he said, "Belonged to Blademaster Aron."

The blade was absolutely breathtaking as far as blades go. The Saotome Honor Blade didn't hold a candle to this excellent piece of craftsmanship. The silver blade shone with the reflection of the torches which lighted the hall. The hilt was firm and strong with a metal hilt that curved up to form two distinct flames on either side of the blade. The bottom held a red jewel that looked like it would be worth millions in yen and on the blade were two kanji that Ranma could not understand.

"I… I no I can't accept this…"

"It would be offensive to him if you did not. A warrior, defeated in battle, respect's their defeater, even in death." Agelmar said calmly. "I ask that you would accept it."

Ranma didn't hesitate for long though she felt she should have. She killed a man and received his sword for doing so? What… what?

"I… I accept, You've… you've been too kind." Ranma said quickly bowing once again.

"May the light illumine and protect you, Lady of the Flames. Yours will be a presence that shall warm the world." Agelmar finished.

A great cheer arose from the crowd as Ranma was directed out of the great hall.

She didn't know what he meant with his final comment though she had become used to being called "The Lady of the Flames," or "The Lady of Undying. All for some reason based upon her ability to dance in fire."

As a matter of fact she was beginning to like the title.  
"What… what does it say?" She asked tentatively looking at the blade as it was given to her.

"Flare Dancer… a fitting title… perhaps Aron knew about you all along." Agelmar said.

"I… thank you." Ranma replied.

A cheer arose from the crowd as Ranma attached the blade to her back. "May peace favor your sword." Agelmar finished.

The crowd kept cheering.

* * *

"So," Ryoga asked, "Mind telling me half of what was going on in there?" 

Ranma looked at him nervously. She didn't know him as well as she wished she had. He was a friend, and never shouted "Prepare to Die!" like her memories told her he did, but still…

"They… thanked me." She said simply.

"Hmm. I wish I could understand what they were saying." He replied.

Fitting in for Ryoga had been awkward. He couldn't speak to anyone except Ranma but for some reason, couldn't get lost like he normally did. Which was fortunate. If he got lost on this world he might NEVER get back.

"So… I still have questions Ranma." Ryoga said suddenly after a long pause.

"Like what?"

"First off, where are we. I still have no idea where on Earth we are!" He cried.

"I… I don't know really but… it's not home. It's… it's another world. I don't know how you got here. But. If I could help you I would. But I have no idea how to get home. I got here through a portal in the ways…"

"Then we'll go there"  
"NO!" Ranma shouted. The much more calmly she said, "I… no… we can't."

"Why?" Ryoga asked impatiently.

"Because… he'll… he'll kill you." Ranma stuttered.

Ryoga turned his gaze directly at her. "Who? Who will kill me?"

Ranma looked down at her feet, finding the ground very interesting. "Machin…" she whispered.

"Who is this "Machin" you keep talking about? What's so bad about him? If you could take him! I could take him!" Ryoga said angrily.

"No you couldn't!" Ranma cried. "He'd kill you… I… don't wanna see another friend die. You saved me… Ryoga. I… I can't let you die."

"Ranma…" Ryoga replied, taken aback by her outburst. This was definitely NOT the Ranma he knew.

* * *

"Moiraine Sedai! Your presence warms me! But why are you here and not in a bed? Ingtar! Did you not call for a healer!" Agelmar shouted. 

"Ingtar is acting on my command, Lord Agelmar. I'm not so frail as everyone here seems to think." Moiraine said calmly.

"Ah, true. I would ask, as you do not seem to be in satisfactory health, why do you feel such a strong need to speak with me so immediately?" Agelmar asked.

"There are important matter that I wish to discuss with you… alone." She said glancing around at the few guards and healers situated in Lord Agelmar's study.

Agelmar glance at these same people and they quickly left. Leaving only Moiraine, Rand, Lan, and Loial carrying a large golden chest.

"Hmm…" Agelmar sighed, "Ingtar is saddened. He wanted to fight so dearly."

"Ingtar's time will come. He is a good man and a good fighter. Perhaps he will fight in the coming Tarmon Gai'don." Moiraine said patiently.

"You talk of Tarmon Gai'don so easily. Is the Last Battle so close that we now speak of it in casual conversation?" Agelmar asked solemnly.

"I believe it will happen before you feel the Last Embrace of the Mother." Moiraine replied steadily.

Agelmar sighed and was about to say something when Moiraine began, "But I have more pressing matters to deal with. We hear… you won a great victory in Tarwin's Gap."

"You hear true. The trollocs and Halfmen were wiped out by She who Dances the Flames. Savior of Shienar." Agelmar said calmly.

"Who is - ?" Rand began but was interrupted by a harsh glare from Moiraine.

"The lady who became a man whom you sent to me." Agelmar said calmly. "She… killed one of my best men by accident. In a quest for redemption she destroyed the entire army of the dark. She still will not tell me how, but only that she used her "ki. She sent blue spheres of fire from atop the Reyonen mountain, hailing upon our enemy till the very last was in retreat or demise…"

"That girl… or boy…" Moiraine said, "Might shake the world more so, than even the Dragon Reborn."

"Why? Why is she so important? Never before, save for Conesuin's Foretelling has she ever been mentioned. Who… is she?" Agelmar demanded suddenly excited.

"She… she has no thread in the pattern. She is not bound by the wheel…" Moiraine said, somehow still calmly, while Rand and Loial gasped. Even Lan let his eyes widen a little.

"N..n not.. Bound?" Agelmar asked. "I… I shall drop the matter. That is… to much to comprehend at one time… Peace, what… what of you, Aes Sedai, in the Blight? You found the Green Man? I see his hand in the new things growing."

"We found him." Moiraine said. "The Green Man is Dead, and the Eye of the World is gone. However, two great foes are now no more than dust. But I fear that no longer will young men will travel North seeking glory…"

Agelmar frowned, confused and almost angered by yet more bad news. "So… you were defeated? The Green Man cannot be dead? But the what about the flowers? Growing things?" He asked desperately.

"We won. And the release of the cold Winter's grip is proof of our victory, though the last battle has not yet been fought. The forges of Thakan'dar still work below Shayol Ghul. Do not let your guard down. The Blight still stands." Moiraine told.

"I would never let down my guard!" Agelmar exclaimed.

"See that you do not." Moiraine replied sharply.

She motioned to Loial and he moved forward after lifting the golden chest once again.

"There is something I must show you, Lord Agelmar." Moiraine said quickly.

"Such as?" Agelmar said, though he did not look at her. He sighed into his palm as he took in all of her news not paying too much attention due to his expectancy of more dreadful events having occurred within the Blight.

"This." Moiraine said as she gestured towards the golden trunk held by the Ogier Loial.

He set it onto the ground and Moiraine strode towards it and opened it.

What Agelmar saw made his eyes pop out of their sockets.

"The Horn… the… the Horn of Valere." The man said in a state of such awe that Rand thought the man might kneel.

"My lady Sedai with this it matters not how much of our guard we keep!" Agelmar exclaimed. "With the Horn of Valere, the Heroes of old brought back to life, we will march to the Bore and level Shayol Ghul"  
"NO?" Moiraine cried with such a force that it made Agelmar jump with surprise.

"This is no taunt. But it is a bring of faith. With this sight you will know that our might will be as great as that of the Dark. The Horn must be carried South to Illian. The Prophecies tie it there and that is where it must be to gather the forces of the light. It must go to Illian I am trusting you to bring it there." Moiraine said quickly.

The chest shut with an audible "clamp" and with that Agelmar felt as if he was a starved man made to stare at a feast through iron bars.

"As you say, Aes Sedai. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. It shall go to Illian." Agelmar said.

"So it shall." Moiraine replied.

Rand was glad the meeting was finally over as they left the Lord of Fal Dara's study. He was becoming very angry at the Aes Sedai's tendency to glare at him every time he tried to get a word in…

* * *

Ryoga's sword blurred around him as he swung the blade like an expert. It was not much different then his umbrella, though he still preferred the umbrella to the sword, he was under the impression that he had gotten quite good with the light weight killing device. 

His opponent was a master. Ryoga knew he could beat his opponent hands down with his fists or his umbrella, however, this combat was a little different.

"No no no!" He shouted. "You will never be able to dodge a left lunge with speed like that! Do it again!" Lan shouted.

Lan was disappointed in Ryoga, not for his lack of skill, but more for his lack of… well… interest. He was amazing in weapons combat and nigh on otherworldly in unarmed fighting.

But he held little interest for the sword.

"It's a weapon used to kill. And, much as I act like it is, that's not really my cup a' tea." He had said.

Rand on the other hand, showed far more enthusiasm though it was for a completely different reason. He said things that were odd every now and then such as, "I just want my father to be proud of me…" and then mumble something more about his father afterwards.

Ranma on the other hand, did not practice with Lan. She had no need to.

Lan thought back to when he had asked her if she would like to learn.

Lan found his sword in four pieces in less than a blink of an eye, cut by her own bare hands. After that he had not asked her again about a the sword. She was simply so good with hand to hand that anything else was worthless.

"I'm fine I think, though thanks for asking. I really don't want to fight anymore. I'm… I'm sick of it." She had said.

But… that was only as a female. If someone saw him as a male, what the would see was a boy, walking, talking, and acting mostly like a woman. Not to mention tripping over himself every good chance he got. Lan almost thought the boy did it on purpose considering all the attention it got her.

Ranma would never admit it but the attention was nice enough to make a few… over exaggerated trips… She thought they would forgive her… it had been a long time since she had had attention… now she was getting enough of it to make up for her twenty millennia.

"Damnit!" Ryoga cried as yet another practice sword snapped under his swing.

Lan had been interested by this word the first time Ryoga had said it but now it was becoming so commonplace it was boring. Ryoga had been learning the language and was making leaps and bounds of progress. Ranma had been teaching him slowly though he was still learning far faster than should be possible.

"I are not liking this!" Ryoga cried. As his language developed, Lan realized that he, like Ranma, also had somewhat of a Saldaean accent.

One month gone since their expedition into the Blight. Two weeks since Ryoga caused the Great Builder's Bane.

He had gone trashing through out the city pulverizing massive stone monuments and the like all in an attempt to get Ranma to fight him.

"I WON'T FIGHT, Damnit!" She shouted in her own language.

Fortunately she didn't have too. Ryoga was not invincible and had been knocked unconscious by a the strong throw of a very blunt piece of rubble by none other than Lan himself. That was when he offered to train Ryoga. He obviously wanted a fighting partner, and he would get one. He had barely understood but he got the general gist of it, especially when, "The Lady of the Flames" began to translate for him.

"Warder Lan, sir… I… I have some information sent from the Mistress Aes Sedai," said a scrawny little man-servant known by the name of Iudas.

"Yes?" Lan asked patiently.

"She says that… well… there's to be an announcement. My lady Moiraine Sedai says that the Amyrlin Seat is here.

Suddenly a loud trumpet call sounded in the distance. Rand jerked his head to the West, along with Ryoga, and Ranma who sat watching against a tree a few paces back.

Suddenly Rand began to panic. Neither Ranma, nor Ryoga knew anything about the Dragon Reborn or the histories of him. Rand, however, did. He was the Dragon Reborn, or so Moiraine said.. And that was why the Amyrlin seat, Flame of Tar Valon, leader of the White Tower of the Aes Sedai was coming here… him.

Ryoga and Ranma were both looking at the fidgeting Rand, awkwardly. They had become acquaintances though Rand didn't know either Ranma or Ryoga too well. Except that he knew Ryoga would knock his arm off if he was not properly prepare, there was little about the two he could say definitely.

They were quite obviously either mortal enemies or… or… on-and-off lovers in the way they argued and fought all the time. They were good friends nonetheless.

"The Amyrlin Seat." Lan muttered, "Sheepherder… you were wanting to leave? You might not get another chance. I would go now while you still have time."

Rand looked on surprised. Lan… a warder sworn to the service of an Aes Sedai, those meant to take and gentle men who could channel the male half of the power, was helping him?  
"You must go NOW sheepherder. You have no time." Lan said.

With that, the man known to a precious few as, "The Dragon Reborn," nodded and made a mad dash for the stables where his mount resided.

Ranma and Ryoga stared as he ran. "What him problem?" Ryoga asked brokenly.

"He is in trouble." Lan said.

"Oh… ok." Ryoga replied and then went back to dismantling a tree with his fists.

Ryoga was surprised with himself. A whole month and he had not gotten lost. He was still with Ranma in this place… Fal Dara, the great city. Final stronghold of the light before the Blight.

Ryoga… was beginning to like living in the backwater world. It was… comforting. Cozy. Not nearly as angry as life on his home world. In Ranma's book, Setuma Ayo was made fun of for his shortness and glasses every day.

Here… none of that mattered. It was all love all… no one had favorites. Everyone had to be wary, trollocs could attack at any time… that over rode petty differences that had made Ryoga so uncomfortable at home.

Ranma on the other hand, had never wanted to stop trying to get home.

"Come, we must meet the Amyrlin Seat. Perhaps it will by the Sheepherder time." Lan said.

Ryoga stood and Ranma quickly followed, about a hundred paces behind, staring into her book.

"She'll get home… She'll get Akane… she deserves her." Ryoga muttered looking at her.

He could help but noticed that his gaze at the red-haired girl was more longing than it should be… he conveniently forgot that the correct pronoun for Ranma was he…

Ranma followed, oblivious to all.

* * *

"OH! Akane she's beautiful!" Sayuri cried. 

"I thought so too." Akane replied happily. "She's my little girl…" Akane said. "Oh… you haven't told us her name Akane." Yuka asked agitatedly. "Keika." Akane replied quickly. "Her name is "Firefly Light."

"Keika." Sayuri repeated.

"What a great name Akane… where did you come up with it?" Yuka demanded. She stared into the un opened eyes of Akane's daughter and the baby coughed and spluttered a little.

"I… just… the name felt right. It was a good name." Akane said. She trailed off and began staring out the window, unconsciously clutching the baby tightly, but not too tightly. She'd gotten quite good at it.

"Your thinking about Ranma again aren't you?" Kasumi asked suddenly. "I… yes." Akane replied.

"Don't worry. He'll be back." Kasumi said calmly.

"Yeah if anyone could get back here, Ranma-san could!" Sayuri cried.

"You guys… thanks… I don't know why but for some reason I… I really… -"

"Miss him." Nabiki finished, "You've said it a few times before."

"I… I guess your right Nabiki." Akane said quietly.

Akane was glad that her friends had stopped by and kicked her father out. He was nothing but a slob of tears mixed with a pinch of flesh. She wondered sometimes where he kept all of that liquid! He cried half the night away and late into the next afternoon going on about how proud her mother would be.

"…"

Would her mother be proud? Did her mother in heaven look down from time to time and smile at her daughter? Maybe… She looked down at her own daughter and decided that she didn't care anymore. She was sick of letting her mother's death so long ago affect her.

It still would. But she would slowly make that change. She still loved her mother.

But she loved someone else more now.

"My little girl." She said for what must have been the umpteen billionth time.

The baby's lips curled into a smile… or at least Akane thought they did.

"I'd better stop that." Akane thought to herself. "She'll start thinking "my little girl" is her name."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

**Chelsea**: Love you hope you enjoyed reading even though you already knew a lot of the next part. Hope you get better soon and I'm glad you like my fics. So… one more down! 

Shorter chapter this time…. Eh well. I'll make the next one extra long just for you guys!

Well while I was writing it I didn't like it too much. But after I reread it… it was a lot better then I thought it'd be. I've managed to move the story along and not much Show-not-Tell problems. This was a very difficult chapter to write due to personal sickness that I took from someone… (Love you Chelsea!) and the fact that I'm writing this at late late late at night most the time.

I like writing late but four a.m. cuts it a little crazy I think.

It's not my fault really… I just can't sleep. Damn stuffy nose… even my wonderful cure-all nasal spray didn't work!

Well I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Not too action filled in this one but don't worry… the battle you've all been waiting for is coming… not too far off now! .

**Please leave a review! It makes me feel all nice and warm inside. ;)  
**

Till next!


	8. Tryst

_When the moon sings the song of victory, the flames shall dance to tune. Time shall pass on it's bearer and the looking glass will be destroyed. The moon, the flames, and time shall take the second earth to the merge. Nae Bliss shall rise to prevent it. Should the Firefly Light not remain, all will fall to ruin. Gemmed oppidan of the Rising Sun. Mighty Telilro of the Dragon and the Dancer. Lead the world forever into the light._

_Quote from Dr. Pharmon Morris,  
Boston Massachusetts,  
February 2, 1998.  
The year 0010 B.M. (Before Merge)_

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Tryst**

* * *

Pluto watched the gates anxiously. It had been like this for another two months. Two months since the birth of Akane's child. Ranma Saotome should return soon… Saidar proved it. She had hardly slept or eaten at all within the past two months, due to her constant watch over the gates of time. 

"Why… why won't you just come and get it over with?" She begged needlessly. She knew that Ranma would come soon but the anticipation of a great battle… possibly her own death, these things and more were all driving her anxiety into a state of overload.

She watched as the scouts fought with Akane, who had again stood up against them demanding to know why she had a memory block. Akane was so much stronger… Pluto wanted to help her fellow scouts but she could not. She HAD to remain vigilant. Akane at worst would beat the Senshi into tar but they would live.

If Ranma appeared and hunted her down she would most likely die.

All due to her horrible and pathetic planning. She was such a fool! Twenty thousand years she had been waiting. She would not die before Crystal Tokyo reigned over the Earth! She would see Crystal Tokyo brought to it's prime if it was the last thing she did!

Pluto hated to admit it but she was afraid. She had been afraid when she had lost the power of the gates of time seventeen thousand years ago… Saidar had appeared then as well. And again she was afraid now.

Suddenly it happened.

The seven or eight possible timelines were shattered. Instantly they spread into hundreds, thousands of different possibilities. All due to the return of one person.

Pluto looked at the possible timelines and found that a precious few involved world wide chaos. Even better, over eighty percent of them held Crystal Tokyo!

Just as Pluto almost let loosed a sigh of relief she found something…

She was not Sailor Pluto. Not in any of them! Not in a single timeline. She had been replaced! In EVERY timeline! By Sailor Moon herself! Her princess! Sailor Moon had chosen someone to replace her! That ungrateful little brat! She had done everything for her! Sailor Pluto… Not her! NOT HER! NO! It wasn't fair!  
All her effort… and now Crystal Tokyo was assured…

And she would not even exist… All thanks to her foolish mistakes. All thanks to Ranma.

It barely registered to her that the American Viceroy who had disappeared had now returned.

She would lose her position as Sailor Pluto in every timeline because of her actions. Every… timeline… Wait. One… one timeline. Just one… she existed as Sailor Pluto in one timeline.

After what seemed like hours of lonely grim silence. After what seemed like hours of viewing her own inner horrors come to life in the screens she had watched for twenty thousand plus years, she realized that there was only one way…

"I will not lose my place. It is mine! Damn Crystal Tokyo! It's mine!" She screamed. "Ranma will pay! I MUST Kill him!"

A portal opened and she vanished leaving only echoes and whispers…

_"The Wheel"  
"The Time… Tarmon Gai'don to Tetra Ode… the patterns… two patterns both spun from"  
"The Wheel…"_

* * *

Ranma pried his nose away from his book momentarily to get a better look at the woman who was called the "Amyrlin Seat." 

"The Amyrlin Seat," Moiraine had said, "Is the leader of the Aes Sedai. Siuan Sanche, formerly of the Blue Ajah, like myself."

There were seven Ajahs within the White Tower of Tar Valon.

Green was the Battle Ajah. They stood ready for what was to come and held steadfast for Tarmon Gai'don.  
White was the Ajah of logic. All things to the whites were based on logic, philosophy and truth.  
Yellow was the Healing Ajah. They did their best to learn how to heal anything. Members of the Blue Ajah devoted themselves to seeking justice and righteousness.  
The Brown Ajah forsakes the things of the world in order to further their search for knowledge.  
The Grey Ajah are mediators, neutral in most aspects, who seek peace and harmony.  
The Red Ajah devoted themselves to the finding, capturing, and gentling, of men who could channel.

There were also rumors, Moiraine had said, that a Black Ajah existed. Black Ajah was an Ajah in service to the dark one himself. She said that Black Ajah did exist, but he should not speak of them. If he said something to the wrong person he could "lose his head." Ranma had a chuckle at that. He wasn't certain if anyone could remove his head from his body, no matter how strong they were. Then again… it had been difficult to place enough ki into his arm to block the sword that had hit him the first time he had returned to his male form. However much, or little, Moiraine spoke about it, it didn't mean anything to Ranma. He just wanted to go home.

The Amyrlin seat was stern looking person. A hard woman with cold blue eyes and a stare that could bore holes through stone. The youngest Amyrlin ever, however, that made her no less powerful. Her medium height and fair skin made her ever more angry looking to the socially in-adept Ranma.

Siuan Sanche, Watcher of the Seals, The Flame of Tar Valon, The Amyrlin Seat. This was the full title of the leader of the Aes Sedai. She was most commonly considered the most powerful woman in the world.

Rand had disappeared upon the Amyrlin's arrival. Ranma was told, by the man who's sword she had shattered, that she would likely not see him again.

It was a shame too.

The boy was a good friend. Funny when he wanted to be. Astronomically tall, however still a good friend. Ranma recalled how he had reacted to the first time she had shown him the book.

"Oh! This is that book that Mat and Egwene were afraid of… it's a book with moving pictures in it!" He cried excitedly.

"I… guess you could put it like that." Ranma had replied.

"Amazing!" He cried as Setuma looked up at one of the many sky-scrapers in the Tokyo area.

"This…" Ranma replied, "Is my home. This is where I came from. Where I want to return to…" Ranma had told him.

Rand looked at Ranma, confused. "Then… why can't you just go back the way you came?" Rand asked cautiously.

"Because," Ranma replied. "I, well, I don't know where I got here from. I know it was in the Ways… but other then that…"

"I see." He panned.

"Yeah. So now I have to find a way home… the good thing is that I have almost infinite time. But… who knows how long it's been since anyone from my era has been alive."

"That's horrible… twenty thousand years… I… I couldn't imagine it." He said sheepishly.

"No," Ranma replied, "No you couldn't."

Now Ranma sat atop the North Tower, again with Ryoga, as the Amyrlin seat moved into the grounds of Fal Dara.

"She puts me on edge. I don't like her Ryoga." Ranma said calmly. "She is… strong."

Ryoga glance at her passively. "Why? You've never even spoken with her. What makes her so strong?" He asked.

"She… she reminds me of someone… very old, wise, and strong. And… for some reason with I think of that person my head starts hurting, as if someone slammed something into it." Ranma said somberly.

Ryoga glance at her for a moment in surprised indignation.

"Cologne by chance?" He asked.

"I… don't know." Ranma replied somberly.

Ryoga didn't know why but in the past month he had been more happy than he had ever previously been in his life. When he began to think about it, the results were unpleasant, so he put them in the back of his mind. Unfortunately, they kept lurking out between the cracks of his train of thought. He was happy… while he was in a random place with mostly only Ranma to talk to. Now it wasn't often but he had been alone with Akane once for almost two weeks, more then once. Neither time had he felt the same level of happiness.

The implications of THAT were… startling at best.

"Hmm, either way… that woman frightens me." Ranma said.

Ryoga chuckled a few more times about Ranma choice of words. Frightens? This Ranma truly had spent twenty millenniums forgetting. No Ranma that Ryoga knew would be caught dead saying that.

* * *

Nabiki was confused. Money, or sister. Money or sister! She didn't know which side to take. Her sister now officially believed that it had been Sailor Moon who had "Blocked" her memory. Nabiki was too afraid to believe it. Sailor Pluto had told her that with her she would go on to become the most powerful and rich woman in the world! 

But… it was her sister!

What if Akane was right? What if… what if…

She was being a fool. She dealt in numbers. Numbers were easy. Numbers didn't change on you or surprise you… ever. Just how she wanted it to be.

She recalled two weeks previous when Pluto had spoken with her about revealing the identities of the scouts.

"Nabiki… it's time." She had said.

"Time… for what?" Nabiki asked. The woman had appeared directly in front of her through one of those odd gateways she used to get around. To kidnap Ranma… Fortunately, Nabiki had seen weirder things so this didn't scare her much, and fear didn't show on her face at all.

"Time to reveal the identities of the Senshi. They will be revealed early, so as to become a friend of the people. Then the great freeze shall come, and the Senshi shall be there to protect the people. It will help if the people know who the Senshi are underneath there guises."

"O.. Ok. Um… can you tell me? What's the "Great Freeze?"" Nabiki asked cautiously.

"In the year 2008, a gigantic meteor is destined to slam into the earth. We will fortify the earth so that it rebounds off the meteor, knocking the earth into a different, a further, solar orbit around the sun. It should be somewhere closer to Mars's orbit. This , in turn, will make the planet freeze, thus creating the paradise of Crystal Tokyo." Pluto finished.

"But… but why can't you just knock the meteor off course? I… I don't want the world to be frozen…" Nabiki said.

"It's not possible child. The entire Imperium Crystal couldn't change the trajectory of this meteor. It's the size of a planet and, it will, in fact, "become" a planet once it knocks our Earth into a farther orbit." Pluto said.

"… I know someone who could." Nabiki muttered.

"What did you say child?" Pluto asked curiously.

"Nothing. Nothing, so how am I supposed to announce the revealing of Sailor Moon's identity? You already said that we would be doing each Senshi, one week at a time. Moving up the planets from the inners to the outers. But starting with Moon."

Pluto nodded.

"So that would be Usagi, Amy, Minako, Rei, Makoto, Hotaru, Haruka, Michiru, and you, Setsuna." Nabiki asked.

"Yes." Pluto replied quickly.

"When should I do it? On Friday's? And how?" Nabiki had asked.

Pluto had continued to give her all the ways she would be able to advertise that the Senshi were, "coming out of the closet". Television, (by satellite or cable) newspaper advertising all over Tokyo, flyers, even one commercial and some merchandise.

Nabiki was proud to say that due to all of this advertising, Moon's identity had actually MADE her money. The sailor moon toy wearing the question mark on it's face had been a great marketing investment.

Over the past two weeks she and Setsuna had become fast friends. Setsuna was… lonely. She confided in Nabiki. Stories of the sailor scouts adventures. Of her own long life and of her loss of power seventeen thousand years previous. Over time she had begun to make money and now Sailor Pluto had become what was currently just about the most rich person in the world.

And Nabiki planned to follow and surpass her. But now she wondered, was it worth it?

"Ranma… if anyone could knock a meteor off course then it would be you." She thought. Even though she was certain there would be no possible way to knock said meteor off course, if anyone COULD do it, it would definitely be Ranma.

But Nabiki still dealt in numbers. Numbers said to follow Pluto.

So she threw the dice and hoped they turned up a seven.

* * *

Rand's horse moved at full gallop. He would not be caught and gentled… caught and killed. Any man who was gentled would inevitably die. 

It was fact, as much as fact could be.

Gentling. The male half of the true source was tainted so that men who channeled Saidin, would eventually go insane.

Gentling was severing a man from his connection with Saidin, the male half of the true source.  
If Rand stayed in the presence of the Amyrlin seat he would be gentled, and since the age of legends, every man gentled had died soon after, as if the life of them had been stripped away. All that was left was a cold outer shell.

Oh some men had lasted a few years after gentling. Ten was the most, he had heard. But apparently life would be so different that he would die from the lack of that wonderful and powerful touch of Saidin that burned him from within.  
He would not be one. He wouldn't go insane, because he wouldn't TOUCH the source! And he would not die by being gentled either.

He rode from Fal Dara as quickly as he could and was miles away without a goodbye or a glimpse of his old friends. Perrin, Mat, Egwene, Nynaeve, and Loial. He left them all without a even a goodbye. He hoped, inwardly, that he wouldn't see them again. "All men who can channel will go insane." He thought to himself. "The Dragon Reborn killed all of his kinsman… I won't be another Lews Therin!"

As Rand rode, his thoughts drifted to that of the man named Ranma Saotome. She who Dances the Flames. It was a fitting title for the woman, man. Or… whatever, as she usually said.

Rand thought of Ranma as a girl due to the fact that he saw her as a girl the most. But she recently had learned to walk like a proper man, in her male form and had practiced a few "simple katas" as he had called them.

They were the most complex things Rand had ever seen, flowing from a kick to a punch in the span of milliseconds. When the man accidentally smashed down one of the trees, he meekly apologized with his hand on the back of his head and an awkward smile on his face.

The most odd thing about the man, or woman as the weather went, was that he would randomly begin laughing. Or sometimes he would whisper to himself in a way that sounded uncannily similar to Machin Shin.

When she recovered and noticed what she was doing she would simply admit that she had gone insane and was working to get out of it. Rand felt sorry for the poor… she, he. But he would not turn out the same way. He WOULD NOT go mad.

Ranma was not completely mad fortunately. Just… reminiscent of horrible days of loneliness. Ranma usually kept herself sane though somehow Rand thought that it took great concentration for her to not remember past events aloud all the time in that… insane way.

Ryoga, Ranma's companion, was much the same as far as the peoples' awe of him went. The "Builder's Bane" as it had been called, was catastrophic. Buildings and barns and towers lay in rubble everywhere due to the charge of Ryoga. He wanted a fight with Ranma who had been unwilling to fight. Fortunately again, no one had been hurt and Ryoga had met Lan from this.

But their strength was not what worried Rand. It was what they could do.

He didn't know how he knew, but he was sure. "Both of them can channel." He thought to himself.

He continued westward and thought of happier things such as his destination.

He road on.

* * *

Usagi walked slowly down the narrow road before her. It wasn't often that she got the chance as she was usually astronomically late. Fortunately today she was not. Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly early either. 

"Well, Five minutes is better then the fifty seconds I usually have." She thought to herself.

"Hey Usagi!" Usagi heard Rei call out.

"Rei? What in the world are you doing here?" Usagi replied, surprised. Rei would usually be at her own school at this time. Would have been at her own school for twenty minutes studying or something similar.

"Usagi… it's time." Rei deadpanned.

Usagi looked on curiously wondering what the girl meant. "It's time for what?" she asked.

Rei placed her arm around Usagi. "It's time us to reveal who we are. Pluto recruited that Nabiki girl to be our official spokeswoman. So… it's time."

"Bu.. But but! I'm almost early to school this morning!" She cried. Usagi stamped her feet and simmered a moment before calming down.

"It's really already time to introduce ourselves? But… why so soon. I'm not supposed to be crowned for another ten years!" Usagi said quietly as she followed Rei. "Where are we going anyways?"

"To the school. Remember how Pluto told us Nabiki was trustworthy? She set everything up. She's been advertising that today would be the day she would have Sailor Moon reveal her true identity. She told us it's supposed to be broadcast on national television." Rei said.

"Oh yeah." Usagi muttered. "I forgot Pluto said we would show ourselves one at a time… why do I have to go first?" She whined.

"Because you're the leader, Meatball Head!" Rei stated angrily.

Usagi just frowned. As quickly as she turned her mood sour, it became bright again. "Well, I guess I should be happy. I have been really sick of the secrets. It'll be nice to have everyone know… though I hope no one is jealous... Or angry that I kept it all a secret."

"Don't worry so much, Usagi." Rei said cheerfully. "Or should I say Princess?"

Rei left her and ran on ahead.

"Usagi! Wow! Your up on time!" another person shouted. Usagi identified the girl as Kiyane. A girl who was only slightly older then herself. A few other girls were with her as they approached. These were some of Usagi's friends who knew nothing about her secret.

"Heh. How's it going?" She panned. "Somethin' wrong Usagi? You don't seem as… well, happy as usual today." One of them asked, though Usagi was not looking up to see who.

"I… well, something important is coming up today. I'm not sure I'm ready to face it." Usagi said mournfully as she stared at her feet.

"Oh? Like what?" Riko asked, her curiosity peaked.

"I… well. If I told you guys that I'd been keeping a really important secret, and hadn't told any of you, in order to protect your lives, would you believe me?" Usagi asked.

Her friends blinked…

And blinked again.

"Usagi… I…"

"Because," Usagi interrupted, "I have been."

Kiyane stepped forward. "Usagi, are you ok?"

"The secret I've been keeping, since I'm finally able to tell you." Usagi said serenely.

"Is…?" Balara asked anxiously, leaning forward to hear due to Usagi's drop in tone.

"I'm Sailor Moon." Usagi said.

Her friends only blinked once this time before they fell on the ground in a heap laughing like hyena's.

"Usagi! If your going to play a joke like that! At least make it a reasonably possible one!" Riko stuttered through her giggles.

With grim determination, Usagi continued towards the school without a word. They'd know soon enough. She turned a corner and there in front of her, in the main school yard was an enormous, stage surrounded by hundreds of people.

"Oh boy…" She thought.

"Step right up people! Just wait, at exactly eight A. M. On this stage the one and only Sailor Moon will reveal her true identity on live television for viewers all around the globe!

"Why!" One of the excited audience members shouted. "Why now"  
"It has become apparent that Sailor Moon no longer has any enemies. She hopes for protection from the federal government as long as she is not transformed, just in case, however, the world is no longer in danger so the time seemed right for her to reveal her true identity." Nabiki replied casually through the enormous loudspeaker.

"What are Sailor Moon's plans for the future?" Another member shouted above the rest.

"To live in peace." Nabiki answered simply. "From what she's told me, Sailor Moon is done with fighting. She's seen enough of it in her young life…"

It was true. Nabiki was certain it was true. Pluto had told her all of the stories that the scouts had gone through since they had been reborn. Pluto confided everything in her. The woman was quickly becoming the best "friend" she'd ever had. Nabiki had never felt so… welcomed by anyone. Setsuna Meiou was among the most kind and gentle hearted people she'd ever met. Yet the woman still schemed even better then Nabiki herself. Nabiki hoped Setsuna wasn't planning anything drastic…

"Did Sailor Pluto truly kidnap that boy a few months ago?" Someone asked.

"Sailor Pluto kidnapped a man named Ranma Saotome because he was starting a dark revolution and intended on taking over the planet. She simply stopped it before it happened." Nabiki lied. That story was made up. The truth was that the story was made up to hide hers and Akane's guilt.

"How old is Sailor Moon?" Another member of the crowd shouted.

A blood vessel popped on Usagi's forehead as Nabiki shouted, "Sixteen!"

The numerous murmurs about her young age only fueled her anger.

"Did she have tell my AGE?" Usagi shouted. Then she instantly calmed down. "Ugh… they would've known anyways. I know almost everyone in this crowd!"

She approached the crowd, which was mostly full of her own classmates and a few college students. She pulled out a cellular phone and looked at the time. Seven fifty six. "Still have time." She thought. "A little time." Time until she was forever locked as a celebrity, and later, ruler.

"Usagi dear! I'm so excited! Aren't you? You know Sailor Moon saved me from one of those youma once!" Said the excited voice of her mother, Ikuko, as she materialized from thin air. "I can't wait to find out who it was who really saved my life that day…"

"Heh! Well then ladies and gentlemen. It's time. Sailor Moon is here. As a matter of fact, she's in the crowd right now. Would the girl who is known as Sailor Moon please step onto the stage and prove it?" Nabiki said through the loudspeaker.

"Suspense… suspense!" Ikuko muttered as the entire crowd quieted.

Usagi looked at her cell phone again. Seven fifty eight. "I have two minutes left! I don't wanna go yet!" She began biting her nails nervously.

"Oh come on Bunny of the Moon. What are you so nervous about?" Rei said appearing behind her. "I can't wait till I get to reveal my identity. The secrets are killing me."

Usagi looked at Rei sternly and nodded.

At Rei's smile she strode forward. "It's time." She thought to herself.

"U… Usagi?" Her mother said as she moved away from her towards the stage.

Usagi turned around quickly, glancing at her mother, happily.

"I'm Sailor Moon mom." She said. Then with her favorite grin she strode through the crowd towards the stage and climbed up.

Among the crowd was the utter silence of pure shock.

"Usagi get down from there!" Her mother cried, snapping out of her shock.

"Moon Eternal Make-Up!" She shouted.

And her dazzling transformation blazed through her. The power, exhilaration, the rush of the change from her normal form to that of Sailor moon, swam through her veins flooding them with power and magic.

"A.. Amazing!" Her mother shouted. "My… my daughter… that's my daughter! So… this.. This is why you could never finish your studies… why you're so tired all the time!"

"All the time, mom." Usagi replied gleefully.

Her mother giggled. "I can't believe it… after all this time…"

Inwardly, Usagi was relieved her mother wasn't angry at her for not telling. Relieved her mother was proud of her.

"Us… Usagi! But… Sailor moon save me once too! That was you?" Kiyane exclaimed.

"Yeah. That was me. I remember it vaguely… you were attacked by one of Nephrite's minions on top of that building. You almost fell over the side but I caught you and took the hit of the attack for you… yeah. My side still aches a little from that one!" Usagi said.

Just about all of the rest of the crowd, whom about ninety percent of said crowd were students who knew Usagi well and had most likely been saved by Sailor Moon numerous times, stood in complete and total shock.

"I… hope you all can forgive me for keeping it a secret. It was for your own protection, not to mention the protection of my own identity." Usagi said bowing. "I am the reborn daughter of the leader of the ancient Moon Kingdom. I humbly ask to be accepted by any who are willing to have me here on Earth."

Usagi as Sailor Moon was one thing. Usagi as a FORMAL Sailor Moon was that same one thing multiplied by one hundred.

Ninety percent of the crowd fainted. The other ten percent who did not know Usagi, continued with their questions until something… different happened.

"Sailor Moon! In the name of the Tendo school of Anything Goes Martial Arts, I Akane Tendo, demand that you give me my memories back!" Said a blue haired girl from the top of the school building.

"I… Akane! Your… You!" Sailor Moon stuttered. "I KNOW you stole my memories! I want them back!" She cried. She jumped from the rooftop and landed perfectly atop the stage a few moments later.

"I would NEVER steal someone's memories! Especially not yours! I don't even know you!" Moon cried angrily.

"Don't play dumb! It happened when you cast that healing spell on me. You didn't give me my memories back! You blocked them! There was no monk who I made to block my memories! I want to know what TRULY happened!" Akane demanded.

Moon, relapsing into her younger attitude and tactics, tried desperately to sooth the storm of anger that was Akane Tendo. "But.. But I really didn't do it!" She said anxiously. "Honest!"

"Enough with the lies! If you didn't do it then who made me forget how I became pregnant! The truth is that you are the only people powerful enough to do it, and my daughter is proof!"

Nabiki stood in mute shock as her sister moved jumped off the building. She also took note of the quick glance, or glare, Akane had given her and shuddered.

"Lucky seven…" she thought to herself.

It had been two months since Akane's baby was born. And now Akane looked exactly as she had before Keika's birth. Thin, lithe, beautiful, and angry as hell.

"You.. You had a daughter?" Moon whispered.

"Yes… and I want to know how Ranma is the father when I have no memories of it!" Akane demanded.

"I swear to you in the name of the moon that I have never touched your memories!" Usagi shouted.

"Dry up and die!" Akane cried. She bounded forward and slammed her fist directly into where Sailor Moon's stomach SHOULD have been.

Akane twisted around and threw another punch at her solar plexus but Moon dodged again.

"Calm down, Please!" Moon shouted. But Akane did not let up. She punched in righteous fury at the girl who had stolen her memory.

'She's just like Ranma,' Akane thought as Moon dodged yet another of her attacks. Neither ever laid a finger on the other.

"Moon!" came the cry.

Six sailor scouts appeared. Mars, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Mercury.

Sailor Moon, who was temporarily distracted, did not see the punch that slammed into her jaw, sending her flying back over the crowd and into the Juuban School building.

Moaning, Moon pulled herself out of the wall to be greeted by the sight of her mother standing between her and the advancing Akane.

"Don't you lay a finger on my daughter!" Ikuko cried as she stood with her hands outstretched. "I raised my daughter! She's the most honest person you'll ever meet! She couldn't tell a lie if her life depended on it! Please! I KNOW my daughter! She isn't lying to you!"

"I…" Akane muttered as she tried to hang on to her anger.

This wasn't right! Sailor scouts were evil, kidnapping, memory stealing thieves! She wasn't supposed to have a caring and innocent mother!

"Mars Flare Sniper!" Came the cry. A red beam of fiery light slammed into Akane's back, scorching her shirt, and the area between her shoulder blades.

Her rage returned in full as she twisted around. She could deal with Usagi later. She had enemies to fight again.

* * *

Ranma landed on the ground. Ryoga had finally convinced him to fight. He would only fight in his, less balanced, weaker male form, but he would fight. 

Ryoga smiled as he stood ready. "Alright Ranma! Let's see what twenty thousand years without a training partner can do!"

Ryoga knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he would lose. It would be truly a sad fight if Ranma were to go all out. All that raw ki that Ranma had displayed destroying the army. It had been incredible. Ryoga didn't think he would ever match Ranma again but, spending the rest of his life trying didn't seem like too bad of a life. At least he would always have a goal. Unlike back when Ranma was… well. Beatable.

Ranma, on the other hand, also knew he could win before Ryoga even moved his first finger. He was so afraid, though. The image of Aron's neck snapping in front of him flashed through his mind for a moment, jolting him out of his thought.

"Don't lose concentration! Don't lose focus! Don't… hurt him too much." Ranma thought to himself.

Ryoga charged. "Gyaaaaah!" He cried bringing his fist towards Ranma's head.

In an instant Ranma jumped, flashing above Ryoga and landing a good ten paces away.

"Shi Shi Hokodan!" Ryoga yelled, seeing a good opportunity to bring the battle up a notch early. A tiny pathetic green ball of ki leapt from his outstretched palm and dissipated before it reached Ranma. Leaving a bewildered and confused Ryoga standing in it's wake.

"Your not depressed, Ryoga." Ranma said simply. "That attack was based on depression which, at the moment, is useless because your not depressed. You have to use one that fits your mood, or find a way to generate pure ki that uses no emotion."

Ryoga looked at Ranma, blankly for a moment before suddenly smiling.

"MOKO TAKABISHA!" Ryoga shouted. An enormous blue ball of energy sprung forth this time moving to slam into Ranma and explode. Unfortunately for Ryoga, Ranma was ready.

"Ki Yamitsuki Kagami!" Ranma shouted.

Ryoga watched as his ki blast melded into the mirror of swirling blue ki that Ranma created.

"You… you absorbed it!" Ryoga exclaimed.

"That's not all!" Ranma returned. "Touei Raishuu!"

The blast that had been originally Ryoga's erupted forth from the mirror of swirling ki and slammed into the surprised Ryoga.

Ranma smiled. She could fight Ryoga this way. Fight him with illusion to make him hit himself! Ranma knew she had fought someone who had done something similar to him once who used a sword light to create illusions that reflected his attacks back at himself.

"Perfect!" Ranma thought.

Behind him, Patrailia whined and huffed angrily. The horse always seemed to recognize when it's master was in danger. It had done the same thing when Lan had hit Ryoga on the head with a rock during the Builder's Bane.

"Alright! I've learned some new tricks since you've been gone Ranma! Take this!" Ryoga cried. He smashed forward with a round house kicked, followed by a series of punches and kicks which Ranma blocked with ease.

Suddenly however, something slammed into the back of Ranma's head. It was his bandana. Ryoga had taken his bandana and thrown it around, like a boomerang making it hit Ranma in the back of his head. Distracting him long enough for Ryoga to get a direct punch in!

"Brilliant!" Ranma thought. Ranma's earlier opinion of Ryoga's skills upped a little.

Ryoga's eyes lit up as Ranma's face collided with his fist. Ranma skyrocketed backwards into a tree. He stood in seconds, having felt almost no pain whatsoever.

"You," Ranma said quietly, "Are a lot better then I thought. I didn't see that coming at all!" He exclaimed.

Ryoga growled. Ranma didn't even look like he had taken a scratch!

And come to think of it! His fist hurt! "Damn you Ranma"  
Ryoga flew forward yet again, though this time, Ranma dodged his attacks with practiced ease and boredom. Suddenly, he outstretched his hand and caught the taller man's fists, in each of his hands and crushed them tightly.

"AH!" Ryoga squeaked.

Ranma flung him backwards and over his head to slam him bodily into the ground, creating a small crater around his body in the dirt.

"Ryoga… I really don't like fighting all that much anymore… can't I just train you and we'll call it even? Please?" Ranma practically begged.

"I hate you." Ryoga muttered through a few groans as he moved to his feet slowly. Ryoga looked at Ranma. There was genuine worry on his face. Ranma, worried about Ryoga. Imagine that.

Suddenly Ranma looked down. "Machin… hate… blood… light… don't hate me Akane… Don't hate me Machin…! eeehh… AHHH!" Ranma screamed and suddenly came back to himself.

"I… I'm sorry… hate… the word brought back memories… I… sorry. Gomen Nasai." Ranma muttered.  
'Killing someone on accident must have really screwed with his brain.' Ryoga thought.

It didn't happen too often, but every now and then Ranma would flip out into a horror filled memory. For a time it would reign and then Ranma would recover his sanity.

Ryoga had been glad to find that the awkward attraction he had had to Ranma, when he was female, completely and utterly shattered upon his change in gender. Finding out that the attraction was only a physical hormone thing, he felt much more comfortable around his rival.

Also, finding out that Ranma could still be his hated rival was a great boost to Ryoga's confidence and happiness drive. Unfortunately Ryoga had found that he felt a certain pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach.

Ryoga felt, "gulp" sorry for Ranma. Twenty thousand years and Ryoga assumed he would be a little whacky too. And, all in all, Ranma wasn't too bad off. Certain words or actions would bring back some of his… worse memories and he would relapse quickly… usually it would only last a few seconds but sometimes the man would scream for hours about how he didn't want to be alone.

"Poor guy…" Ryoga muttered as he stared at the turned back of Ranma.

Ranma never let Ryoga know that he had heard his muttering.

* * *

The Amyrlin seat had been shown to her resting quarters. It had been a long days travel and she could wait until the next day to meet with Moiraine and the Legendary "Lady of the Flames." 

Unfortunately for her, Ranma, and Ryoga had both decided that now was the best time to leave. Ranma's not-quite-fear of Siuan Sanche had spurred them to decide that it was now time to leave Fal Dara. Time to find a way home.

"Once again, we of Fal Dara, thank you from the bottom of our souls. We can never repay all that you have done for us. You will always be welcome here."

"Thank you lord Agelmar, master of Fal Dara. May you forever hold your ground against the blight." Ranma replied formally.

"Take care. May peace favor your sword." Ingtar said.

Ingtar was a strong man and soldier. His hair, like Agelmar's, was tied back in a topknot. His recklessness seemed to be the dominate trait in him but he was definitely a good man, skilled and resourceful fighter, and an even better strategist. A little to blood thirsty for Ranma's taste but Ryoga had become friends with the man. Unfortunately he assumed that Ingtar was somewhat afraid of him. He stuttered slightly and seemed to be a little twitchy around the two people who could shatter stone barehanded.

Fortunately he had not witnessed the destruction of the dark army, so he was not completely afraid as a few were. Ranma's carefree attitude usually made people able to look past the random madness in him. And his unimaginable power.

In truth, Ranma was much like a child.

"Goodbye Lord Ingtar! Lord Agelmar! Goodbye Lan. You were great sensei! Thank you very lot!" Ryoga shouted as he turned back to wave. Ranma sighed at Ryoga's still pathetic language. It was, however, getting better.

Ranma's speech was much more simple. "Goodbye… I… I will miss Fal Dara but I must find a way home…"

"Aye. You must. You must. The Amyrlin seat will be disappointed that she did not get to meet you." Agelmar said.

"Yes she will, I assure you. But… it's for the best." Moiraine said quickly. "If you met the Amyrlin, she would most likely want to take you back to the tower… and I have my own reasons for wanting you to stay free of that place."

Moiraine did have reasons. She didn't want the tower destroyed like the east tower of Fal Dara had been. No builder's banes would occur at Tar Valon. The two scared her. But now she would have to find Rand. Where would that boy be? He was the important one.

Moiraine turned and left quickly without a word.

"Well. Perhaps we will meet again one day, Ryoga." Ingtar said. "Until then, as my Lord said, may peace favor your sword."

"Same to you." Ryoga said, for once, perfectly.

They turned and walked on foot from the main gate of Fal Dara.

They had been offered horses but they had turned them down. Both of them knew they could move faster than any horse.

After about five minutes of walking, Ryoga turned Ran- his… sensei.

"So.. Sen… sei. You want to leave them a goodbye firework?" He asked anxiously.

Ranma lifted his hand into the air, muttered a quick, "Sure," and then, blasted a vortex of blue ki from one hand, and red ki from the other, creating two perfectly straight pillars of light.

After rising far into the sky, they exploded in a dazzling array of spectacular lights.

"Amazing," Ryoga muttered.

"Stop gawking. It's time to train." Ranma replied angrily.

And suddenly, faster than Ryoga could see, Ranma spun around. Ryoga heard a quick zziiip! And then there was silence. Within Ranma's hand was an arrow.

Ranma looked up the walls of Fal Dara… where he saw Tio… Aron's child… Ranma turned and fled as fast as she could. Fled from the tear stained eyes of the boy who's father she stole. Ranma from the young boy who tried to kill her.

Ryoga followed quickly.

* * *

Patrailia was an old horse. Almost two thousand years old though no one knew it. He had been a man once named Karugan but a ter'angreal had malfunctioned and mutated him until had had actually BECOME a ter'angreal himself. 

Karugan had been bitter about it for the upper side of five hundred years but he had learned since the Age of Legends that past was past.

Ryoga, the odd man from another world, had become his new master.

And now the boy had left him behind. "He would begin "Need Traveling" again soon." Karugan thought. Karugan was a ter'angreal that did one thing. Due to the fact that the ter'angreal he had experimented on had malfunctioned within an Ogier Stedding, his little ability had become that of a True Source dampener. He could choose who and when to cut off from the True Source whenever he chose.

An Ogier Stedding was a dwelling place of Ogier. A place where the True Source could not be touched by anyone. So, in meddling with a Ter'angreal for transfiguring people, he accidentally turned himself into a horse, destroyed the angreal and gave himself the ability to sever anyone he chose from Saidar or Saidin, instantly.

As a ter'angreal, as long as the source was alive with in him, he assumed that he would not die lest he was killed.

Ryoga, his new master who could use Saidin, had a problem with "Need Traveling." Ryoga would accidentally enter Tel'aran'rhiod, the world of dreams, while he was awake, seeking what he needed, and then use Traveling to accidentally take him to any place he seemed to think he needed to be.

During Ryoga's stay here, Karugan had instantly identified this problem, as he had dealt with it a few times before during his human life.

And now Ryoga was leaving him. The poor boy would be lost again…

"Farewell, Master Ryoga. Perhaps we, too, shall meet again." Karugan muttered.

Using his tail, he flicked a fly off his back.

* * *

It was night time and Ryoga and Ranma were walking through a dense forest to the west. They weren't certain where they were going but it didn't matter. Ranma was a girl at the moment due to a brief rain a few hours back. When offered a kettle a little later, before they trained, she declined. 

"I'm sick of tripping," She had said moodily.

Ryoga on the other hand was human, thanks to his umbrella.

"Ryoga… I have a question." Ranma asked suddenly.

She shifted her pants around and retied her leather strap belt. The thing kept coming undone and no matter how tight she tied it, it just wouldn't stay together.

"Uuh.. Ye.. Yeah?" Ryoga replied through his moans. He had been severely beaten by Ranma, who had not really even been trying to hit him in the first place during the last hour..

"Why don't you get lost like you used to? I remember… I remember you were lost all the time. I've wanted to ask you for a while now but I never thought you would… like me asking."

"I… I don't know, Ranma. Ever since I've been here, I've been able to find my way almost perfectly. It's amazing." Ryoga said happily.

They stopped walking momentarily.

"This'll be a good spot to stay at for the night." Ryoga muttered.

Ranma smiled. She loved sleeping on hard ground. It was so much like the stone floor she had become used to over the years. The beds made her uncomfortable… they were simply too comfortable.

Ryoga spent about five to six minutes setting up a tent. Then after that he taught Ranma how to set hers up, since she couldn't really remember well. After that, Ranma removed one of her embers and lit it in her hand. She then moved it to light the pile of wood that had been placed in between the two tents.

It lit quickly, even thought it was a little wet. It was becoming warm with the advance of the spring recently.

Ryoga pulled out a large pot and poured some water and rice into it.

Levering it above the fire he let the rice cook, and then turned to Ranma.

"Ranma?" he questioned quickly.

"Yeah?" she replied.

Ryoga moved to scratch the back of his head. "I've been wondering something about you too." He stated. A cool breeze swept by the both of them, chilling them slightly. The moon shimmered brightly above them, it was almost full, as it had been a month before, but not quite. It illuminated their small camp, reflecting off the water from the tiny river not far away.

"What?" Ranma asked.

"I wanted to know," Ryoga asked, "If, well… I want to know… what you will do when you get home?"

"I will find Akane. I'll… I'll. I don't know what I'll do. I just… I'll find Akane first. And then… I'll kill Pluto." Ranma said grimly.

"Ranma… but… that's not the way of a Martial Artist!" Ryoga said firmly. Ryoga had known Ranma had revenge plans but, murder? Ryoga, at one time, hadn't been certain if he would ever see such anger from Ranma.

"She stole my life Ryoga. My sanity. I… I… She deserves worse. I want her to have worse. I want to make her scream, make her blood flow…" Ranma muttered. A red aura brimmed around the outer edges of her body.

"I want her to feel the same thing I felt. I want her to know what it's like to be alone for eighteen thousand years… But I won't. I'll kill her quickly. I at least have that much honor as a martial artist in me. Revenge was not my way she must be brought down."

Ranma embraced her ki, letting it bathe her. Out of the corner of her mind, she noticed the black veil, wall with the hole in the middle. The light on the other side, Saidin, stood beckoning to her. Why, she could not understand. It had never made her want to touch it so much before.

"Ranma!" She suddenly heard Ryoga shouting. Looking up she noticed that her aura had flared out, blasting to a three foot radius around her, burning the trees above her and scorching the ground. Fortunately nothing important was nearby enough to be hurt by her outburst.

"I… sorry Ryoga."

Ryoga smiled haphazardly with a quick "It's ok!"

Ranma couldn't help but notice that Ryoga edged around her for the rest of the night as they ate.

The next morning was a good one. The sun was out and the weather was becoming warmer by the day. Flowers were blooming and leaves were growing like wildfire all over the trees of the dense woods.

Ranma felt better than she had in ages. For the first time in a very long time, her dreams had not been plague with images of Machin going insane or images of Aron's snapped neck.

She ate in silence, listening to things she had once dreamed about seeing in real life. Rabbits zooming by afraid, birds chirping, wind blowing. All of it was still so foreign and amazing to her.

Ryoga stood suddenly, lifting the pan of warm water away from the fire. "Here, Ranma. You're a guy today."

Ryoga desperately tried to hide the reason that he wanted Ranma to be a guy. That, when Ranma was a guy, Ryoga didn't feel so much pain at the end of a training session.

"Arigato," Ranma replied unknowingly, taking the pan and upending it over her head. Ranma flipped forms quickly and stood to repack his tent. Ryoga had already done so, so he helped Ranma get the tent off the ground and in his back pack faster.

The walked along for about an hour, hoping to find the village that supposedly lay in this direction when suddenly something happened.

"I'll be right back Ranma. I need to use the bathroom." Ryoga said quickly.

Ranma nodded, sat, and waited as Ryoga ran into the woods quickly. After a time, Ranma began to become impatient. Ten minutes after Ryoga had left, Ranma became afraid and followed after Ryoga.

And suddenly, she saw it. Ryoga was walking directly into a hole in the air about the size of a regular door.

"Ryoga!" She cried.

But the back of Ryoga disappeared as he walked into the door-sized gateway. Suddenly the hole began closing.

Ranma zoomed forward as fast as she could easily bursting through the gateway, before it shut, after Ryoga.

Flying out of the gateway, he slammed into the back of Ryoga, and ended up actually standing on his back as Ryoga's face pounded into the concrete.

"Wait… concrete?" Ranma thought.

He looked up and then saw the most horrible site he had ever seen. The buildings and roads didn't matter. The fact that he was now home… it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered… was her.

"Die!" He screamed.

* * *

Akane stood firm. Sailor Neptune and Venus lay unconscious and she had four more currently present to defeat. Akane didn't know where Moon was. 

She leaped backwards in an amazing arc landing far behind the un-prepared Sailor Mars. Unfortunately, Jupiter had been prepared.

"Back for more eh! I'll win this time!" Jupiter cried.

"Not a chance!" Akane taunted back. "I want my memories and Ranma back! I KNOW you took him!"

Akane darted to the left, slamming the girl with the slowest reflexes, Mercury she thought, in the side with her fist before continuing on to the left.

It was a wide stage and the people who had been watching Sailor Moon's unmasking had fled in horror at the scene, leaving ample room to fight.

A few people recognized Akane as the girl from the news broadcast a few months previous but even those who were for Akane still ran from fear of being caught in the crossfire.

The four remaining whirled around her launching punches and kicks everywhere. They were not well trained in fist fighting. They relied too much on their magic. Unfortunately, Akane was tiring. Even without proper training the Senshi were incredibly strong and fast.

She launched a kick towards the short one, who looked to be only about twelve, and ducked a fast array of punches and kicks from the short-haired Uranus.

"Alright that does it!" Uranus cried suddenly.

And instantly the other three scouts, that is Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, blasted away from her, leaving only Uranus and her in the middle of the clearing.

"WORLD SHAKING!" Uranus cried. She lifted her hand into the air. In her hand formed a circular ball of yellow light. With that she flung the ball into the ground where it blasted around the surface leaving carnage and destruction in it's wake.

It followed Akane like a missile as she ran away as fast as she could. Suddenly as she ran directly toward the small girl, she jumped up and backwards. Just as she suspected. The homing magical ball slammed into the unprepared Saturn.

Looking around she noticed that Uranus's attack appeared to have done more damage Saturn than she had expected! Sailor Saturn was down for the count!

"Three left." She thought to herself. She could take on three. She was a brawler… she dealt in battles with multiple enemies. She'd win.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" She heard Mars call out again. This time, however, she was ready for the arrow of red flame jetting towards her.

She dodged to the left. And slammed a surprised Sailor Uranus with a hard blow to the stomach. One more down! Only two left!

"Oak Evolution!" Sailor Jupiter suddenly cried.

And Akane met her match. Jupiter's raise hands created yet another light above them, and as she spun around, the green lights blasted out everywhere laying waste to the ground and everything between.

One of the green balls of energy exploded on Akane's abdomen. She flopped down onto the crater covered ground in a heap.

"Damn!" She thought to herself, as she moved. She still had energy. She could still fight! She didn't want to use her secrets yet.

"Are you ready to give up!" Jupiter shouted to the limping Akane.  
Akane limped to her feet. "I'll never give up," She muttered. And with that, she was back in action. She darted straight forward towards Jupiter, who had become ready to intercept. But she feigned and jumped backward, twisting in midair, to land right in front of Mars, who had been preparing another attack.

"Ah!" Mars yelped, before Akane's right hook dislocated her jaw. A hard knee into Mars's stomach and she was as unconscious as an bat at noon.

"One left." She thought.

"Just you and me…" Jupiter said. "I'll beat you this time."

Akane just smirked with a wince. They both darted forward expertly, just as they were about to collide both fighters instantly changed direction, each swirling around the other trying to make each other dizzy with impressive footwork.

"That won't work on me!" Jupiter cried.

"Too bad your so fat and slow hitting you would be like hitting the broad side of a barn!" Akane yelled. She had been trained by Genma. As such, she picked a few of his… better techniques. Taunting.

Sailor Jupiter's rage knew no bounds. She changed her direction of travel to move directly towards Akane.

Akane smiled at her genius. Dodging the angry girl was cakewalk.

"Hit me!" Akane taunted, making the girl as angry as possible. Jupiter became more and more frustrated by the minute at Akane's apparent lack of tiredness or weakness. All that the other scouts had done had been nothing. This girl would win!  
And suddenly, as Akane was about to deal the final blow, Jupiter heard it.

"Venus Love me Chain!" Cried the now awakened Sailor Venus.

Akane became trapped in a lasso of magical energy for one brief moment. Just long enough for Jupiter to get the best possible hit she could muster, in.

As the punch blasted her solar plexus with pain, Akane keeled over at the powerful blow from Sailor Jupiter. Suddenly, Jupiter grasped her collar and lifted her.

"Stop trying to hurt us! We've done nothing to you!" Jupiter cried into the face she had lifted to the same eye level as her own.

Akane only glared in mute agony. "Ranma…"

And suddenly… Jupiter heard one word.

"Die!"

And Jupiter and Venus were unconscious. Twin beams of pure red anger ki, had been driven right through their stomachs.

As they slouched to the ground, Akane saw through the hold in Jupiter's stomach and rolled away as fast as she could. "That was Ranma!" She thought suddenly realizing who had shouted the word that had save her life.

She looked up… and there he was.

"A… A… Akane? Akane!" He cried.

"Ranma! I knew you'd come back! I knew it!" Akane cried.

Suddenly Ranma disappeared.

And just as suddenly, Akane felt herself lifted and carried suddenly the world was flying by so fast she couldn't see what she was doing or where she was going at all. The entire ground, the buildings, the trees, everything became blurred by the immense speed her captor wielded. "AAAAHHHHHH!" Akane screamed as she noticed that suddenly she was thousands of feet into the air.

"Akane." Ranma whispered. "It's ok… I have you."

"Ranma…?" Akane asked as the sat, suddenly still, in midair.

"Akane… I love you. Don't believe anything else! Not ever again! It's been so long… so long without you. Akane. The enemy is Pluto! Pluto stole your memories! I saw it happen! I watched everything!" Ranma said.

Suddenly they began their decent. Akane felt the butterflies in her stomach wiggling, along with her fatigue from fighting. She was so happy… she had been right. She HAD been right.

And Ranma… he DID love her! He… he really DID!

"Ranma… I… thank god your back… I knew you'd come… I always knew you'd come back. I knew I couldn't have killed you." Ranma didn't answer. As they suddenly landed, he bounded again into the sky. With that, he stood her up and hugged his face to her ear. "Stay with me… I never want to be alone again… never again. Stay…" He whispered.  
"Ra… Ranma?" Akane questioned, surprised at her perverted fiancée's words.

"I was alone Akane… Pluto imprisoned me alone… she gave me immortality and left me to rot in a prison." Ranma muttered.

"Ranma…?" She asked again. So much information… all of it was happening so fast. She was fighting the scouts, trying desperately to win Ranma back and then, suddenly, she was miles into the air talking to the person she had been fighting for not twenty seconds previous.

"It took me so long… so long I've had to hold on. To keep others away… for you. So long…" Ranma whispered again.

"Ranma are you alright?" Akane asked, a little afraid.

Suddenly they again began to descend. But this time, they stopped. Ranma landed, again holding Akane, delicately. He place her on… the air. "Ahhh! What's, what's going on?" She screamed. She stood on absolutely nothing! She was thousands of feet in the air with Ranma standing on absolutely NOTHING!

"I had so much time… So much time alone… I dreamed every night and day about you. Always wanted to return to you…" Ranma said, louder as he walked towards her slowly. He, too, stood on nothing.

"Ho… how long were you alone?" Akane asked, now genuinely afraid and backing up, along the nothing ness through clouds.

"Eighteen… eighteen thousand… eighteen thousand years!" He shouted. Suddenly his aura flared bright red around him raging in ghastly fury. His hair blazed up and his old fashioned wool jacket flew back. He leggings twitched around about his legs and volts of what appeared to be electricity burned through his cold, dead, blue eyes.

Akane gasped. "Ra… Ranma!" She backed away from him scared to death of this devilish version of her fiancée.  
"I'm… I'm sorry… I… I probably sound… insane to you. I am. I've gone mad…" Ranma said, as his aura dissipated instantly. "I don't mean to scare you.. I couldn't help it… eighteen thousand years… I had to think about something… I had too! I'm sorry… I obsessed.. I obsessed over you. I… I want you Akane… please… so please… still…" Ranma trailed off.

Akane stood shakily on the invisible ground, which she had now discerned was a ground truly crafted out of ki. "Still what… Ranma?" She asked.

"Still love me." He asked. "I didn't think there was any hope of seeing you ever again… but then Ryoga showed up and he "  
Akane cut Ranma off. Her mouth attached itself to his in the most powerful embrace Ranma had ever felt. As they kissed, they spun and danced with the clouds on the invisible ki platform in the sky.

As they kissed. Tears trailed down both of their cheeks. Fortunately, neither noticed. Each was too absorbed in the other to care.

* * *

Kasumi smiled happily. "Oh my! I KNEW that boy would come back! Ranma never loses!" She thought to herself. 

The last thing the television had shown before technical difficulties had occurred had been the boy appearing and firing some sort of straight, light, beam from his hand. Sailor's Venus and Jupiter slumped to the ground, and Ranma, along with Akane, disappeared. Then the live camera feed was lost.

Keika blurbled a little. A small bit of drool left her lips and dribbled over her chin.

Kasumi smiled again. It was turning out to be a very good day indeed. She was aloud to baby-sit her niece, Keika, which Akane was all to protective of most of the time. Akane had Ranma back.

The Sailor Scouts, who apparently HAD kidnapped Ranma, unlike the whispers she had heard whispers from Akane's room at night told her, had gotten what they had coming.

The food was almost done, and Keika, apparently smelled it. She kept nodding her head up as if putting her nose towards the smell. After only two months the girl was holding up her neck on her own. Amazing. Definitely Ranma's child… or Akane's come to think of it. She could get her unnatural strength from either of them.

Suddenly, a black hole appeared right in the middle of the kitchen and a green haired woman, formally known as Sailor Pluto exited.

"Oh my! Miss Pluto!" Kasumi exclaimed.

"Get out of the way wench!" Pluto demanded. She placed a hand on Kasumi's shoulder and threw her into the wall. Poor Kasumi's shoulder burst through the wall and she screamed in agony.

"Heh heh… you'll make perfect bait…" Pluto muttered.

Keika began to cry as Pluto lifted her and opened a portal.

"NO! NO PLEASE! Please! Take me but leave the poor child!" Kasumi screamed.

Pluto looked back and laughed. "What does it matter? Bait is bait, and I plan to kill everyone in this wretched, life wrecking family!"

"You… ahh! Your horrible!" Kasumi screamed.

"What's going-! Kasumi! What happened? Are you all-!"

"Forget me father! Get Keika!"

"KEIKA!" Soun shouted spinning around to see the one and only Sailor Pluto standing in a rapidly closing portal.. "Another time perhaps." Pluto said as the portal closed.

"No… no No NO NO! KEIKA Come back with my grand-daughter! KEIKA! KEEEIIIIKAAAAA!" Soun shouted in almost as much agony as Kasumi.

Soun's tears fortunately didn't keep him from tending to his daughters wounds… but Soun didn't think he had ever felt so dead inside. Two months old and Keika was already dragged into madness that was Ranma's life.

"Damn you son… get home and save your daughter!" Soun thought desperately.

"I'm… sorry father… I.. I'm very sorry.." Kasumi muttered as Soun applied the bandage and gauze wrapping to the slice in her shoulder from the wooden door.

"It's not your fault Kasumi… I.. I should have been here… I should have…" Soun said.

Whilst watching her father work, Kasumi didn't think she had ever seen her father act so mature during crisis.

"Akane… I'm sorry." She thought to herself.

* * *

Moon limped slowly. Her aching back had kept her from entering the battle and now she could only barely walk, with her mother supporting her. 

"Ranma had come back. Ranma was alive!" She thought to herself. "And that means… that means that Pluto must have LIED to us… she LIED to us again!"

And then she saw Venus. Nothing else mattered. Directly through where her heart should be was a hole… a small hole, with a radius of about an inch, traveling straight through the corpse of Sailor Venus.

"No.. no… Venus.. I"  
"Ugh!" Someone spluttered from a ways away. "Help, me. Princess." The voice gurgled.

"Oh no! Not you too. No Jupiter!" Moon cried. She limped faster. Her own pain could wait. She wouldn't watch her friends die again. She wouldn't let Jupiter die like Venus! She would let any of them die! She couldn't! She WOULDN'T!

People had wandered out of their hiding places back to the once clean school ground, that was now a giant dirt mound. They had watched as Venus's formed shifted.

"No! No! It can't be! Minako! Your Sailor Venus! Minako!" Someone shouted. Glancing away from Jupiter for a moment, moon noticed that it was a friend of Minako's. Salura, she thought her name was.

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!" Moon cried.

The blood cleared from the wound in Jupiter's stomach but it didn't appear to heal.

"No.. no NO! MOON HEALING ESCALATION!" She cried again.

Nothing. "No…" And suddenly, Jupiter's eyes closed. Her form shifted… Makoto. Dead.

"Makoto!" Someone moon didn't know cried. "I can't believe it… no! Ma.. Makoto!" The girl ran out to Makoto and fell to her knees in front of the dead girl.

"This… can't be happening." Usagi thought. "This isn't happening!" She shouted. "No! NO NO!"

Suddenly Moon's Silver Imperium Crystal lit up. "I won't let it happen!" She shouted. Her voice resounded as if it were through a microphone, amazing all the onlookers.

"Moon Reversion Amelioration!" Sailor moon cried. An enormous vortex of white light lanced through the clouds. And in an instant it was gone.

Moon fell to the ground in a heap. But all around her, white sheets of light, fell over the ground. The tattered dirt covered ground moved itself into place. The broken fences repaired themselves. The sidewalks which had been crumbled and demolished, rebuilt themselves.

Finally, the wounds inside Jupiter, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Mars, and Saturn, were healed.

Mars wobbled to her feet along with Jupiter and Venus. All of them got up slowly.

"She… she did it again." Jupiter said. "I was dead… and she did it again!"

"Please wake up!" Ikuko murmured as she hovered over the now dormant body of Usagi.

"She's fine Mrs. Tsukino. She's done this before… we've… we've died before. She's just resting." Venus said.

Suddenly Mercury appeared with Luna and Artemis in toe. "I… I'm… late aren't I?"

"Mrs. Tsukino… please allow me?" Saturn said suddenly.

"Miss… Saturn is it?" Ikuko asked. "Are… are you going to help my daughter?"

Saturn just smiled and sat down next to Usagi.

Placing her hands on Usagi's body, the bruises and scrapes that still resided on her were washed clean. Everything was back to normal.

Ryoga Hibiki suddenly made his appearance. "Uh.. Eh.. Hi… Sailor Mars, right?" He asked sheepishly.

"EEK!" Mars exclaimed suddenly and instantly hid behind Jupiter.  
"I.. uh.. Yeah about that… I… I wanted to… um. Apologize. I found out… it.. Well you don't have anything to do with Ranma's kidnapping. It was all Pluto.. She's been manipulating everyone from the start… so I was wondering if we could… start over and forget that fight a while back?" Ryoga held out his hand hopefully. He had promised that he would apologize and apologize he would.

Rei gulped and moved forward cautiously. "I… um… Yeah." She said.

She took his hand and shook it firmly, with much more confidence then she actually had. "I.. yeah. I'm Sailor Mars. Rei Hino since Moon already told you.  
"Ryoga Hibiki. It's… um.. Nice to meet you!" He said awkwardly.

They shook hands for far longer than was necessary but it was worth it. "Friends then?" She asked.

"I… yeah… yeah! Friends! Of course!" He said nervously.

Rei giggled. Ryoga wasn't all that bad of a guy when he was nervous.

Somewhere in the now clean field, Nabiki, sat in the grass weeping. "Akane… I'm so… sorry. I should have believe you. Pluto manipulated all of us like pawns… I should have believed you."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

OH MY GOD THIS IS SO HARD! I finally got them to meet! But anyways. For the first book, only one chapter and an epilogue left. I think this entire story will span two books. _(review)_ Because my gigantic master plan is… well. To put it simply… quite large. But fortunately… all the errors that I said I'd correct in certain replies, will be done as soon as I finish the first book. Then I will continue with the second. Now I have questions. First off. 

**PLEASE REVIEW! MY LAST CHAPTER ONLY GOT A PIDLY TWENTY(ish) REVIEWS! So pretty please? (I want fifty!)  
**

even though it's not truly important, the more reviews, the happier I feel. Sorry. I like to fish for criticism. No other way to become a great writer in my (professional) oppinion.

Secondly, if any perverted writer/fans out there feel like writing a short side story about what goes on during Ranma and Akane's "time in the clouds" feel free to _(review)_ write and send me. (For those of you who don't understand this I'm talking about a lemon if anyone feels up to writing about mid-air intercourse. I sure as hell don't. I think it would be too hard... plus I'm pretty well a PG13 writer.)But anyways. If someone were to send one, I'd A: be surprised, and B: be more surprised.

For all you Ranma/Akane fans out there…_(review)_ Have fun with this chapter!

Caution, ahead are personal reasons as to why this chapter took so long to come out. And a few bits and pieces of my personal life if you feel the urge to find out more about me.

So my fic is soon going to come to a close… after that I think I will try my hand at actual writing (you know like… for a publisher?) But that's still a ways off and you people still want _(to review)_ to see my last chapter!

I'm sorry about the long wait on this one. Life has been a real pain in the ass lately. I have to work all day, every day now and when I don't get work done (and start writing) I feel this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I'm not being responsible enough.

I did finally get a job for my grandpa but it still feels like I'm doing no work for money… and no work + money fired which I REALLY don't want.

(The best days of my life are when my beautiful girlfriend can come over! Love you Chels!)

So… I guess that's my authors notes. Thank you to all who reviewed (and all who didn't too! Thanks for taking the time to read!) I can't wait to read your responses and I hope you _(review)_ enjoy the Eight chapter of So Be It.

Till next!

(On a perverted side note. With the last chapter I upped the number of people who have me in my favorites list from 67 to 69... YES!)


	9. A Broken Looking Glass

_Let us remember! Let us never forget! Let her named be burned into the pages of time! Usagi Chiba! Queen Serenity! May she Rest in Peace forever! May she rest as she never could in life. Long live the Reign of Peace! Long live the kingdom of Crystal Tokyo! Long live the line of Usagi! The Line of my Mother!_

_Speech by Princess Usa,  
Lady of the Moon,  
In Crystal Tokyo, Queen's Memorial,  
November, 26, 2008 A. M._

* * *

**Chapter Nine: A Broken Looking Glass**

* * *

Pluto could not help but be impressed by her princess. She was amazing. Just as she was _made_ to be. Just as _she_ had _led_ the girl to be! Improvising the mixture of the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal and Balefire, to create some sort of reverse balefire spell? Amazing! And so like her queen of old… but, unfortunately, Pluto had no time to care. 

She lay her trap well. All the while, whispers in her head told her, her plan was madness. She had snapped. Had she been, or even felt, sane, she would have known that she should have peacefully given up. Hell, in some of the timelines her life turned out _Great_.

But… she wasn't Sailor Pluto.

That… that just couldn't be… her job had been that of Sailor Pluto for _so_ long! How could she possibly accept just being a normal person? How? It just.. It was so wrong! Putrid! Disgusting! No… life without the power of time would not be worth living.

Normal people who held a job for five years and lost it unexpectedly would be more than a little angry. Pluto's job of over twenty thousand had been watching the gates, and heaven nor hell would stand in her way of keeping it.

The twisted thing about it was that, as she browsed through yet MORE timelines, she found that nine times out of ten there _was no_ Sailor Pluto at all! Which was impossible! The magic was binding, and even if the princess did strip her of her power, the magic would continue and move to another soul. Should she die the magic would stay with her till her re-birth. This was completely impossible… unless… the magic went to someone… where Ranma had been. Pluto did not know, but she had always had suspicions that this world was connected to… to another. That there was… something else. Something, linked… if indirectly, to their universe. Ranma's return had proved it's existence. Almost as if there were… ah, well. It didn't matter now anyway, did it?

"WAAAA!" Keika cried repeatedly, driving the already insane Pluto even further over the edge.

"Yes… cry all you want. It'll just make them come for you more quickly. Bond between parents you know…" Pluto joked at the little brat who lay on the cloudy floor that held the area near the Gates of Time.

Keika only cried louder.

"Hmm, soon this annoyance will be at an end. Damn girl…" She muttered.

Pluto never noticed the faint glimmer of light that flickered around the wailing baby.

* * *

"Ranma…" Akane sighed as Ranma held her. Both were re-clothed now and Ranma was jumping towards the Tendo dojo. 

Ranma carried Akane, cradled in his arms. On his face he wore a gesture that was more protective and loving towards the girl than any face he had ever worn.

Akane felt chills in her spine, and her stomach whirled with butterflies. Her heart was wrecked with emotions. Emotions that had been pinned down harshly, due to her loss of memories.

"Ranma… I know I've apparently told you before… but… I can't remember saying it… so… I love you." Akane said, quietly.

Ranma's gaze, which lingered on her and only on her, became a smile with happiness written in it that was beyond compare.

"I love you, too, Tomboy… Akane. I love you more than anything or anyone, Ever." Ranma said sternly.

Unfortunately for Akane, the butterflies in her stomach only increased their movements. She'd never felt happier. Inwardly, however, her thoughts were twisting.

"He called you a _tomboy_! That _jerk_!" Said one side.

"But he loves you. He said it so kindly… And I… He used to call me it… like a pet name, didn't he?" Said another.

Akane, despite knowledge of the fact that the last meeting with Ranma that she could remember, prior to her memories of killing him, had involved him stubbornly insulting her with the most brash comments a man could give a woman, felt that she could completely trust him.

She may, in her memory, only remember him as a jerk, though her emotions remembered his love. Her skin recalled his touch. The damn scouts had taken her memories but she didn't lose her feeling. She had loved Ranma before, no matter what her memories told her.

The white clouds flew by in an amazing rush as Ranma jumped. Akane noted, as they rose and fell, that upon moving far into the sky, it became very cold, and with descent, friction caused her skin to feel as if it were burning. She was getting used to the uncomfortable sensation, but it was a slow process.

Thinking back to a few minutes before, Akane decided to say something to break the uneasy silence between the two.

"That was… amazing Ranma." Akane said gently.

Ranma blushed with a muttered, "Thank you." and then continued jumping, staring at the girl in his arms the whole time, barely paying any attention whatsoever to where he was jumping.

"Take a left here, Ranma." Akane said softly, now finally getting used to his impossibly high jumps.

After a few minutes of jumping in the new direction, Akane remembered something… rather important.

"Oh my… um… Ranma. There's… there's something I need, t-to tell you." She said, frightened.

"Yes, Akane?" Ranma said, his eyes, having never left his nervous "still" fiancee.

"Ranma… while you were gone… something really important happened." Akane said quickly.

Ranma was unnerved. Hell, Ranma was, and had been, a nervous wreck ever since he saw the his former, and current, love. She'd seen him, she loved him, she wasn't afraid of him as he had feared she would be. She was exactly the girl he recalled dreaming of… at least so far. Amazingly enough, the girl only appeared nervous towards him… as if simply not knowing what to say. Not afraid in the slightest… Well, his jumping scared her.

Something important, though?

"Like what?" Ranma wondered. "What… what is it?" He asked tentatively.

"Ranma… when you were "gulp" kidnapped… I was… pregnant." Akane said slowly.

"Pre…g… nant?" Ranma mouthed, halting in mid-arcing-descent, now plunging straight towards the ground at over a hundred kilometers per second.

"AAAHHHHHH!" Akane screamed as Ranma simply muttered to himself.

"Pre…g…nant?"

"RANMA! Please! Snap out of it… oh … oh god… I don't wanna die here!" She screamed as she struggled in his powerful grasp, vainly.

She looked over her shoulder, and viewed the pleasant sight of seeing a ground rushing towards her at speeds that humans shouldn't be allowed to travel at. Far faster, of course, than she'd ever fallen before!

Sure, Ranma fell fast earlier, but now it was a dead drop. The butterflies in her stomach clung desperately to the top of it, begging the fall to slow down.

"RANMA!" She screamed one last time before collision.

She braced herself for impact, expecting to fall straight through the stunned boy's arms and slam into the concrete below.

TAP!

And Ranma's shoes collided with the ground, making a simple tap of his shoes on concrete, still holding his shocked fiancee, all the while muttering,

"Pre…g…nant"

"Ranma!" Akane screeched.

Suddenly Ranma snapped out of his stupor. "Ak… Akane did you just say that you were…?"

"Pregnant! Yes! Arg! Ranma no Baka! Your still the same idiot I remember you being! NEVER do that AGAIN! Were WALKING the rest of the way! I don't trust you with me miles in the air." She screeched. "Put me DOWN!"

"But… does that mean that…" Ranma said, still perplexed at the "P" word. "Preg… does that mean that I'm a fa"  
"YES!" Akane interrupted angrily. "Yes you… you're a father… though.. I don't remember… how." She finished dejectedly.

"I know… The blonde scout erased your memory." Ranma said, now finally returning from his dejected mind-absence.

"She did it? When she… when?" Akane asked. "Was it when she cast that spell that she said was a 'healing' spell?"

Ranma walked up to her and placed his arm around his lover's shoulders. "It was when you first began to believe you killed me. It's been so long… arg… I can barely remember seeing your life in the book. But I remembered important things." Ranma said sadly. "The blonde scout erased your memory, but I honestly don't think she knew she did. She thought you erased your own memory, which you probably remember doing."

"Wait, stop. This is confusing. What book?" Akane asked, trying to comprehend the situation.

Suddenly Ranma turned and reached into his cloak, prompting Akane to finally noticed the clothes which Ranma wore.

He wore an old red tunic. Soft and much like his old silk one but, most definitely odd in the actual fabric. His pants were baggy and brown, not too different from the baggy pants he used to wear to fight in though these were no where near the quality of his blue silk pants. He didn't wear his usual slippers, but rather, he wore boots, that appeared rather heavy. On his back he held a non-modern traveling pack, along with… was that a sword? His pigtail was longer than usual, hanging just below his shoulders. If possible, it was more uncouth than it had been nine months previous when he had first left! To top it all off, beneath the travel bag, but covering the sword, was a brown cloak. It, like everything else on him, appeared worn, with rugged edges and shoddy sewing.

All in all, he could pass as a perfect commoner… about a thousand years ago.

From his cloak he pulled forth a book, about mid-sized as far as books go, and opened it instantly to the exact center.

"This is the book that has kept me alive for so long. This is the book that I watched you in, over two thousand years ago." Ranma said.

"Two… t-thousand?" Akane stuttered.

"Yeah… I'm… I'm a little on the old side… ehheh." He chuckled.

Akane looked at the book, and was instantly entranced. "Oh wow… it's… it's like a movie book! What… what's it showing?" She asked.

"This is life through the eyes of someone named Setuma Ayo." Ranma said. "It changes every twenty years, to show me another random person from the Tokyo area, from the time of my disappearance onward." Ranma said.

"I…"

"When I was alone.. It was the only thing that brought me comfort." Ranma said dejectedly. "I… I'm so glad to finally be home. You have… no idea." Ranma sighed.

"You… you want to tell me… your story I mean? What happened to you when you… disappeared?" Akane asked. She hesitated with the word disappeared because no matter how she remembered speaking with the actor who played Ranma that fateful day, now she knew that it hadn't happened. It had BEEN Ranma, not someone acting as Ranma.

She trusted him. Even over her own memories. It annoyed her and made her feel weak and possibly stupid, yet warm and fuzzy all the same.

"It's… a long story." Ranma replied. "I… I'll tell as long as you listen." He said.

Akane smiled one of her brightest smiles and said simply, "Thank you."

Ranma stuttered, "I… well… but I… that is… first could you.. Um… tell me… a-about my… well… you don't look fat like pregnant ladies so… could you tell me about"  
WHAM!

Ranma pried his head firmly out of the wall angrily. "What did you do that for you Un-cute Tomboy! AH!" He cried springing his hand to his mouth… unbelieving of the words that had just come from his mouth. This was the girl he had downright _worshipped_ for _millennia_! How could he even think of calling her that?

"Gomen Nasai! I didn't mean that Akane. I don't know what came over me! It just sort of… it just came out and… and…!" He stuttered, his head pressed into the pavement, bowing in the most out-of-character pose Akane had ever seen him in.

To Akane, the shocked expression on his faced, when he looked up, did something to her that hadn't been done to her in quite a while. It amused her. Heh… eighteen thousand years and he STILL managed to put his foot in his mouth around her!

"Keika, Ranma." Akane said, abruptly changing the subject. "I named our daughter, Keika"  
"Keika…" Ranma twisted the word around on his tongue, muttering it a few times before he said. "I love it."

"I hoped you would, Baka." Akane asked.

For some reason, Ranma didn't seem to mind being called an idiot. Matter of fact, from his Akane, he felt like it was a compliment! He gave her a large, goofy grin.

She smiled. "You really are a baka…" she sighed and continued walking towards the Tendo compound. This time… Ranma was a little offended.

* * *

"You've really been doing this for TWO YEARS?" Mrs. Tsukino demanded for the hundredth time. 

"YES MOM!" Usagi sighed angrily. "I'm REALLY not lying!"

"Oh my poor little baby has been defending the world from evil monsters and barbarians for two years? I'm so PROUD of you honey!" Ikuko ranted, also for the hundredth time. "Thanks mom! I get the idea!" Usagi replied sardonically. She sat on the ground, a crowd of people around her. For some reason the crowd was staying back, as if hindered by some invisible barrier. "Knowing me, I'm probably making it myself." She thought.

She was still a little sore as little Hotaru couldn't heal her fully. It did hurt for her to heal too much, after all.

"What the…? Where did he go?" Rei asked suddenly, looking around as if she lost something.

"Mercury, I need to know how Ranma is alive?" Usagi asked suddenly serious. She ignored Mars. The girl's love interests could wait for later. It was odd that Ryoga had disappeared so suddenly though.

"I need to know how Ranma got here and killed Venus and Jupiter." Moon said.

"I… um.. What do you…?" Mercury replied surprised and un-ready.

"Well, what are the chances that Ranma has been brought back to life? We have reason, yet again, to believe Pluto lied to us about Ranma!" Usagi said trying desperately to explain why Ranma should not have been able to return.  
"Ran…ma?" Mercury thought, trying to come up with a face to match the name.

"Remember that video about Pluto kidnapping Ranma a few months ago? She said it was a fake!" Usagi said angrily.

Mercury was confused. She remembered a Ranma in the video a long while ago that Pluto had said was a fake… however… that Ranma was a GIRL!

"What? What are you talking about? Ranma was the red-headed _girl_ in that video!" Mercury exclaimed.

"Mercury? You didn't look up the public files on him? He has a curse that turns him into a girl. I thought that would be the FIRST thing you would do! I know it's little hard to believe, but we've had encounters of the same type before." Usagi said dejectedly.

"But… but you did? Look up her information, I mean?" Mercury asked, now utterly surprised at her blonde princess.

"I had to find out everything about a possible enemy, so I looked up his name on the internet in the public files. He had a curse that turned him into a girl before he "supposedly" died. I was certain you would have looked into this!" Usagi replied now thoroughly disappointed.

"I… I'm sorry, Princess." Mercury replied in an uncharacteristically formal tone.

Who was this girl? Was this REALLY Usagi? When did she get so… smart? No… that wasn't the word. The difference between this Usagi and the bubbly girl Mercury knew was that this girl knew leadership. How had she become so good at it so fast? How did she come to possess this ability so quickly?

"Nevertheless," Usagi replied, "That man was Ranma and he has returned, when Pluto said that Akane had killed him. Either he has been resurrected or Pluto has betrayed us, yet again."

For some reason Usagi did not understand herself, she found herself acting as formal as she had in her vague memories of her past life, some twenty thousand years previous.

"But then… Akane said she'd had a baby! How do we explain that? Could it be that you really… did erase her memories?" Mars asked suddenly.

"How? My healing spell does nothing to memories!" Usagi asked. "And that's the _only_ time I ever came in contact with her!"

Usage puzzled this for a moment. Pluto… the scout had always been a mystery to her. She despised the woman now.

Ranma's being alive changed everything. "We must talk to Akane." Usagi said as she rose to her feet.

The crowd backed up a little. Anxious of what might happen. Suddenly, a tiny voice from the back of the crowd croaked out, "I can help with that!"

Usagi looked up. Her head zoomed from one end of the crowd to the other, frantically searching for the source of the voice.

The crowd spread smoothly and slowly, the girl, slightly older than Usagi herself, with the boy-cut brown hair and equally brown eyes, named Nabiki stepped forward.

"That bitch betrayed me!" Nabiki muttered angrily.

"N-Nabiki Tendo? Akane's… sister right?" Minako asked curiously. She knew that Pluto had said that Nabiki had helped set up this whole show and had also been the announcer but this was the first time any of them save Pluto had actually MET the girl. Well, save for Mars that was. "You're the one that scared Mars when we first met by telling her, her name while in public!"

"D-damn straight." Nabiki stuttered, also uncharacteristically. The small trails of liquid falling from her eyes slowly made visible the depths of her anger and despair. She tried desperately to hide her tears but failed miserably.

"What's… what's wrong?" Neptune asked.

"Do you know what it's like…" Nabiki began, "To watch someone you know die?" Her breathing was becoming slightly on edge, her eyes, wide with passion akin to that of a madman.

"I watched Ranma die. I remember it," She said pointing to her skull, her respiration speed increasing.

"I remember watching my sister pound him into a bloody pulp. A disheveled carcass of the man I once knew!" She shouted as her breathing became more rapid.

"And there he stands! My memories were also replaced! She comforted me when he died! Pluto _comforted_ me! She held me while I cried over the death that was only a creation of her twisted mind! She is a heartless hell hound! I want her dead!" Nabiki screamed, putting fear into the entire crowd. "I want her **dead**!"

"Sleep…" Usagi soothed suddenly with a voice, not that of her own. "You need rest."

Nabiki's eyes drooped wearily. Her heart rate slowed quickly. And as she slumped to the ground, her breathing returned to a moderate tempo once again.

All was silent for a moment save for the birds, twittering in the morning sunshine.

"Usagi…er… Princess… Serenity? When… how did you do… that?" Neptune asked tentatively. Usagi wasn't even transformed! And she'd never had powers like that before! Were her Senshi abilities seeping into her normal form?

Ignoring this question Usagi sighed again in her own voice and said plainly, "Pluto must be stopped."

"U-Usagi?" Mercury asked timidly. "What are you going to do?"

"I will strip her of her powers. She is no longer fit for the job as guardian of the gates of time." Usagi said.

Uranus snorted but the reaction of the crowd was much more surprised. Gates of Time? Just how important WERE the Senshi? Photographers and video camera's relayed these events to areas round' the globe via satellite, internet, television and instant photography as the world watched in silence.  
"Usagi… dear… I… I really wish I knew what's going on here…" Ikuko asked, speaking as timidly as Mercury had earlier.

"Mom… it's complicated. But… I'll explain it to you some day. For now, I have to go. I have business to deal with on Pluto. Mars, get Nabiki. We're going."

"W-Where?" Saturn piped in, finally fully recovered from healing Usagi.

"To the Tendo Dojo." Usagi replied.

Suddenly she stood and shouted, "Moon Eternal Make-Up!" Displaying her dazzling transformation into Eternal Sailor Moon to the audience yet again.

The other non-transformed scouts transformed as well though most of the crowds eyes were transfixed on Sailor Moon.

Moon glanced at her mother, graced her with a large Usagi-style grin, and bounded to the roof of the school building in one graceful leap. The others followed quickly, Mars carrying Nabiki.

"My… daughter." Ikuko mumbled.

And instantly, the poor mother was bathed in the sea of reporters and fans that had previously been somehow detained from coming closer.

* * *

No one noticed the two cats. It was fortunate that they didn't because, had they, they would have seen two cats shouting, in perfect English, at the retreating forms of the Senshi, to wait and desperately trying to keep up, but failing. 

As the Senshi fell completely out of sight, they saw a boy, who had stopped running right by where they were, shouting, "WAIT!" At the Senshi, just as they were moving out of sight on the building tops.

"Come on Artemis! We'll hitch a ride on that pack of his!" Luna said.

Artemis nodded, and, while the boy rested momentarily from running, they bounded up onto the large pack on his back, and clung to it for all their nine lives were worth.

Both of them continuously puzzled over why the boy carried an umbrella…

* * *

Within the Darkness of thousands of years, the Great Lord lay in his prison peacefully. He was always trying to break out, of course, however, today was not a day for struggle. Today was a great day for the dark! A great day indeed! For today, a being almost a hundredth as old as he was would finally assume her true position. His advocate. 

The advocate of the Great lord of the Dark! Nae Blis! It would begin… today.

Shia'tan chuckled. The bore, the prison that held him confined within Shayol Ghul shook furiously. Some of his puppets had been freed now. Great ones. But none were his Nae Blis. Ishamael had come close receiving the position. Even others had done great as well. Lanfear, Daughter of the Night, had decreased the time between the present and the final battle, Tarmon Gai'don, by much before she met her demise. Such a pathetic way for her to die. Others had also served well. Samael had taken over an entire kingdom before Lews Therin Destroyed him again. Who else was there who had even done decent?

Moghedien? A pitiful excuse for the spider she once was. Rahvin? Dead. Balthamel? Dead. He had too few of the Chosen left for his liking. He would perhaps have to revive a few more from the dead again. Hmm, such an annoyance.

But it was no matter. His avatar… his Nae Blis, had finally come.

Today would be the day. It had been SO long since someone strong enough from the other side of the wheel had lived to serve him. But now one was strong enough. And he would have her at his mercy. No matter how long it took for her, it would be nothing to him. The other side of the wheel of time moved so slowly.

Those gates the foolish moon dwellers had made drained the energy of their side of the Wheel of Time, slowing time down in comparison to the other side of the wheel. Of course, the fools couldn't feel it and so they assumed nothing was wrong. Fools. The time gates would sap their life flow of it's energy and in the end, that entire side of the wheel would be destroyed.

Fortunately, his Nae Blis would be rescued from the persecutions and tribulations of that other world. The lord of the Dark, Ba'alzamon, Shia'tan, would protect his Nae Blis.

And with that, across the worlds, he reached out his hand. And the Lord of the Dark again touched the other side of the wheel.

* * *

"So what are we going to do?" Uranus asked cautiously. 

"We have to be careful. How do we get their attention without making them think we mean them harm?" Chibi-Usa, Usagi's daughter from the future, asked plainly.

She had arrived shortly after the scouts had left the high school, wondering what all the commotion was about. She, of course, had resided within the elementary school, and it had been hell for her to get out. The damn teacher wouldn't let her go to the bathroom!

"Maybe we should watch at the window? Set guards around each window to look in and see what's going on?" Mars asked.

"Or perhaps we should just wait them out? It doesn't actually seem like Ranma or Akane or home. When he showed up at the battlefield… I… it was all could do not to feel his… well his… presence, I suppose would be the only word for it," Usagi piped in.

After much heated debate they began to quietly argue about which way it should be done. After almost ten minutes of pointless bickering, Hotaru, Sailor Saturn, said simply. "Why don't we just knock on the door?"

The other Senshi were silenced rather quickly. After a few blinks and no less than three face faults, Usagi took her position as leader. "Great idea, Saturn." She said.

Hotaru gave the older scouts a look that either said "nice try," or simply "your retarded." Mercury, who had not participated in the argument or idea proposing, nodded profusely.

"Well, lets go then." Usagi said.

She marched up to the front gate of the Tendo Dojo and knocked loudly three times. On the third knock, the fragile wood of the front gate indented leaving an ugly looking, fist imprint in the old wood.

Suddenly after a few moments waiting, the gate slid open.

A man who was barely on the edge of tears stood there looking down at the ground.

"I'm… I'm sorry," the man, who's long black hair fluttered around his waist calmly, said. "But we aren't accepting challenges at this time.

"Oh we aren't here to challenge the dojo!" Hotaru said happily.

"Your…" Soun suddenly looked up… and with that, backed away instantly. "By Kami what have we done to you people? What are you here to take this time! My other daughter as well? NO! No damn you! I'll fight you to the death before I let you take any of them!" He cried, his tears, evaporated.

"Mr. Tendo, you misundersta"  
"Shut up! I won't allow you to speak until you give my grandchild back," Soun cried desperately as he backed into a fighting stance.

"Grandchi- sir please we just want to-"

"SILENCE!" Soun screamed, interrupting Sailor Moon's vain attempts to reason with him. "I want my Grandchild back, you kidnapping thieves! I want her back NOW! You were fools to show up on my doorstep!" He cried. And with that, he sprung into action.

Moving forward at a speed, previously unseen from the aged master of the ground side of the Anything Goes style, Soun, struck an excruciatingly painful blow against her, sending her careening back into her fellow comrades.

She, Neptune, Venus, and Mercury, lay on the ground. An awkward mound of bones and flesh.

Usagi noticed that her daughter and a few of the other Senshi were preparing to attack the man.

"STOP!" She cried.

They hesitated, allowing the poor old master to get a similar hit in on Mars, who had flinched at her princess's command, sending her flying backwards and skidding to a halt on smoking sidewalk, her back, burning.

Usagi stood and faced the tall, broad shouldered man.

"We deserved that and more for what has been done to your family in our name." Usagi said plainly. "I believe, it was the actions of Sailor Pluto, and I beg your forgiveness. I need you to listen to us, sir. I need to find Akane Tendo." She said as she bowed her head in a respectful manner. The blue and black eye that she now wore mattered little to her. It was unimportant and therefore pointless.

Soun was unready for her unwillingness to fight. "What have you done with my grand-child! Where is little Keika-chan?" He screamed, trying desperately to hold on to his righteous.

"I… I don't know. Please… please tell me what happened to her! T-tell me who kidnapped her! Was it Sailor Pluto?"

"YES!" Soun screeched and then much more calmly said, "Yes… and I couldn't… I couldn't do a thing… my wife, years ago and now my poor little grand-daughter kidnapped… just like Akane last year…" He slumped to his knees, crying tears that he had shed many times before.

After a few moments, in which the only sound permeating the Tendo front lawn was Soun's sobs, Usagi grunted. "Hmph, that proves it. Sailor Pluto has betrayed us. And this is the last time. Mr. Tendo, I will personally retrieve your grand-daughter. Our purpose is no longer the purpose of the Senshi of Pluto. She will be stripped of her power forever. I… I can't ask you to forgive all that has happened because of us, but… I… we had no knowledge of Pluto's plans."

Usagi suddenly knelt down on one knee and bowed her head.

Without even noticing themselves do it, her Senshi did the same, feeling foolish for not having done so in the first place.

With that she stood. "Come. We've caused this family enough grief. It's time to right the wrongs of Sailor Pluto. Is seems that, at some point, she forgot that she was always one of mine. She is no longer…"

And the Senshi all bounded away again.

Mars, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Mini-Moon, Mercury, and Jupiter, were all beginning to wonder just what had happened to the bubbly, ditzy blond they had once called their leader. This new girl… this new Usagi, was… so… mature. So… good at this "leadership" thing. It was if she was… born for the job, which, ironically, she was. Her Senshi had just never noticed it.

* * *

"Yes! She looks just like your girl side! Her red hair is already coming in! She's so… so cute! I… you'll love her… my idiot." Akane said as they walked at a casual pace towards the dojo. 

Ranma smiled in eager anticipation. What an… what a… what a surprise! A father! He was an honest to goodness, right forward, straight up, father! And father of the child of the woman of his dreams no less! What a great day it had turned out to be!

At the back of his mind, Ranma idly wondered what had become of Ryoga, but it apparently did not matter too much. He was sure Ryoga could take care of himself.

"There it is!" Ranma exclaimed joyously.

He bounded around like a small child, at the site of his home. It had been so very long since he had seen it. His first home. His TRUE home. He was so glad…

"Daddy!" Akane cried suddenly. She rushed passed the dancing Ranma and zoomed over to the outside of the Tendo wall, where her father resided. He was breathing heavily and obviously making an effort not to cry.

"M-Mr. Tendo!" Ranma stuttered in a way that, to Soun, was completely out of character.

"We-welcome back… my girl. Son. I… huff… Little Akane-chan… I'm… I'm so sorry…" he cried as he fell to his knees before his daughter. "Please, Please forgive me." He said as his head bowed to the ground.

"Daddy w-what's… what's going on?" Akane asked, tentatively.

"She… she came! Pluto! The one who kidnapped Ranma… I.. I'm so sorry but… but"  
"But what Dad!" Akane demanded.

Ranma stood behind the two, simply amazed that he was aloud to grace the presence of people whom he had dreamed of knowing… remembering for years. Did they not see the importance of their presence to him? Why were they conversing? Why weren't joyously accepting his return as he was finally back?

"Pluto took Keika!" Soun cried.

And with that, Ranma's brief slip, into a more odd sort of madness was cut short. His daughter kidnapped? But he'd never even seen the girl! Let alone loved her yet! Why! WHY WHY WHY? What the hell did Pluto WANT from him?

While Ranma contemplated the anger burning within him, Akane was a far different matter. Her skin burned with a cold aura the emanated death to any who would dare to cross her path. Her cold fury burned around her in a sickly, twisted blue and orange aura of anger, hatred, and despair.

"Ranma," She said without turning around in a voice that turned not only Soun's, but Ranma's blood as well, to ice. "We are going to find Pluto. We have to find the Senshi."

"They were just here!" Soun burst out sharply. "They… well, they came and begged for our forgiveness! Akane-chan, I don't think they are to blame! Just Pluto. It was all Pluto… T-they went that way!" He finished pointing towards the east.

"Thank you daddy," Akane said again, her cold, furious aura still chilling the air and temperature around her. "Come on Ranma. Were going to show you your daughter."

* * *

"Oh dear. This is no good at all…" Cologne thought. "No good at all." 

Cologne had been residing in her village with an exceedingly happy granddaughter for the past few months. She had become… happy again as well. She had so longed for her home in the mountains but… But… It simply wasn't enough. Now that she was finally home, again, the old woman felt a nostalgic desperation for the comedy and enjoyment she received from her… ex-son-in-law.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," She muttered.

Now it appeared that something was happening. She looked at the auras from the land of the Rising Sun. The land was now ripe with activity. More so, even than it had been. Upon Ranma's death, since she was within it, she did not see the change. When she arrived home she saw the great oranges and reds and blues that always appeared in the aura's from the east. Now it was different. It was the same actually. Just, incredibly larger. Some enormous force had come to Japan. And it was a force that would shake the world.

"Ta'veren," She muttered. "There is a Ta'veren, in Japan."

Ta'veren. A mystic person, who made the lives of people around them swirl with impossibilities. Ignite with magic and mischief and amazements that are simply…_ impossible_! A Ta'veren had not existed since the breaking… twenty thousand years ago, or so history said.

It was true that the Amazon's were only three thousand years old, however, their society was based on others that had existed in this time. In the most ancient texts, in impossibly old dialects and scriptures…. There existed remnants of a place called the Silver Millennium.

In this time there existed a Ta'veren. And her name was… unfortunately lost to time. However, it was said that she was the one who, by influence and lordship, through a woman named Beryl, brought down this, Silver Millennium.

And now, as the text said, one was born again… or at least one had become "active" again.

_Eastern sky burned… people to Luna… Ta'veren's workings to first earth. Next, come True Power. True Source… . Then, begin merge… Time unwatched… Dark War to Shadow… end... Dragon, Dancer, Luna, Chronos… renew… forever… Wheel to Time destroyed forever._

This was what had been translated and remembered of the Almonryic Scriptures. The Amazon's had debated constantly upon weather specific asterisks meant "to" or "of" due to the fact that the symbols of the two words were so similar that the amazon's could barely tell the difference, considering these scriptures were hacked into a stone tablet with a chisel.

Once they had been a full prophecy in the time of the great Siriquis. The nation that had given the Scriptures to the Amazon's upon their "dying out".

Amazons and Siriquis hadn't known each other at all. However, the sparse translators between the languages, who none of which knew even a fourth of the other language, told the Amazons to keep their most valued scriptures.

The Amazons studied and studied… and this was all that they could come up with, in their three thousand years.

Now it appeared that the eastern sky burned. People to Luna, Cologne did not understand. Dark War of Shadow, Merge, Time unwatched and Ta'veren returns she was all unsure of. However… one thing she was certain of, was this. True Power… True Source…

She felt power encircle her, enflaming her bones with a previously un-heard of sense of joy and passion. Her lungs burned with the glorious fire that was this… True Source. By surrendering to it's prowess she found that she could easily manipulate it to do her bidding. It was truly… amazing, beyond that even of the joys of youth. Letting go of the source, she found herself, unhappy… wanting only to draw in more of that agonizingly beautiful power that enhanced everything about her.

"Something big is happening in Japan. I won't miss it…" She thought.

She hobbled away from the eastern wall of Joketsuzoku to find her great-granddaughter.

* * *

Akane stared at the Senshi with a burning hatred in her eyes. Ranma however, regarded them with a rather… sympathetic look. Twenty thousand years of getting to know these women through their subjects in the kingdom of the moon told him that, no, these Senshi were not at fault. 

The Senshi, were a different story. They also held a cold fury.

Ranma and Akane had caught up with the Senshi by a stroke of Luck. Akane had relented at the news of her child's kidnap and so she, again, was being held by jumping Ranma. They had bounded down the road for about three kilometers until they happened across a grassy clearing in the middle of a small public park.

They had landed directly in front of the Senshi, confronting them with cold stares.

The cool breeze that had been flowing completely halted and passerbys felt the temperature drop, and froze when one of these cold eyed woman even caught a glance of them. There anger was directed, not at Akane, but at Ranma.

"Come on Akane! We gotta reason with them because it's not their fault! I'm telling you the truth! On my word Akane! They didn't take your child and they may be the only way we can find her!" Ranma exclaimed.

"YOUR CHILD TOO!" Akane screamed at him as her irate state of idle threats turned to hot blooded fury and unleashed on him.

This was in no way the kind, loving Akane he remembered. Yet somehow, Ranma found himself un-disappointed.

Moon was having similar problems. Her fellow Senshi were in the same states of cold fury, directed at Ranma for killing two of their group, forcing the pain of revival onto their queen. Venus and Jupiter felt the odd sensation of wishing to avenge themselves, though unlike Mars and Uranus, were not actively exposing their wish.

Moon returned the sympathetic look with one of her own as she bodily held back both Mars and Uranus from attacking Ranma on the spot.

One, they were allies due to the new-found information on Pluto.

Two, it would be stupid beyond measure to fight one who could kill them with a simple beam of light to the heart in an instant.

"I… apologgh… MARS Cut it out! I… Apologi- DAMNIT Uranus! I apologize! For… for this!" Moon said through her struggling with holding back the Uranus and Mars. Finally she yanked the Black-haired Senshi behind her and she fell to the ground in a heap on her bottom. She was about to rise again when Moon turned to face her throwing Uranus atop her.

"Mars, Uranus! I command you in the Name of the Moon, to settle down and shut up!" Moon said calmly.

Mars was dumbfounded, while Uranus backed off, angrily. She got to her knees and sat there, a pleading look on her face. "Bu… but… but he k-killed Venus and Jupiter! H-how can you just let him…?" she asked, meekly.

They watched as Ranma struggled with Akane in the same way for a few moments.

"Think about it. If the love of your life were in the same position Akane was when you showed up, how would you react? Ranma acted on instinct! It appears he knows this. Otherwise he would destroy us in an instant!" She said plainly.

The group gasped in unison. "Pri-princess? He couldn't p-possibly-" Neptune stuttered but was interrupted by a harsh.

"Oh Yes he could. Didn't you see what he did to Jupiter and Venus? It didn't even make him sweat. He could kill us in seconds so just listen to Moon and don't offend him!" Mercury exclaimed. Whilst they bickered among themselves, Usagi thought. Why oh why did her Senshi have to be soo _stupid_ at times! Once upon a time she was the WORST of them! At least Mercury had some sense though… Looking back now, Usagi felt foolish about her past decisions. Most of them were the actions of a horribly unprepared child. It was necessary but… dumb… so VERY dull-witted to awaken a fourteen-year-old girl to such a demanding task. Now, a year or so since the last climactic battle, at the age of seventeen, she had matured ten-fold. With the aid of her rapidly returning memories, The Bunny of the Moon, Usagi, had become who she was meant to be. Serenity.

"Ranma Saotome correct?" She said upon seeing that he had finally calmed down the ice-blizzard that was Akane Tendo.

"Hai." He replied. "Where is my… d-daughter?" He asked, directly in a firm yet… disbelieving?… tone.

"Straight to the point, as I would expect. Your daughter, will be with Pluto, on Pluto." She replied with a small amount of humor in her voice.

Akane simmered. It was obvious she was angry. Ranma was no longer preventing her from straight out attacking the Senshi but she wanted to destroy these people so much. They had taken HIM and he was keeping her from maiming them! And NOW they had taken the one thing more precious to her than any other! Damn it Damn it Damn it!

"And, this is funny to you?" He demanded harshly.

Moon was taken aback. "N-no of course not! I, I just."

Moon sighed. How could she possibly keep these two groups from killing each other? "Ranma, I'm sorry I just, I-" She sighed again, "I am removing Pluto from her position as Senshi. She no longer deserves the position."

"That's all! She kidnapped my baby!" Shouted Akane, un-understandably due to the fact that at the exact same time, Chibi-Moon, or Usa shouted. "WHAT? Your… your really going to remove.. Remove Pluto? Does… does that mean I'll have to… to go back?"

"I don't know what will happen to you, Carrot-top. But, no matter what, I have to seek right over wrong. Pluto must be stripped of her power." Moon said, placing a hand on her daughter's pink-haired head.

"SHE KIDNAPPED MY BABY!" Akane screamed annoyed at the loss of attention, and even more so annoyed at the actual event.

"Punishment will be given accordingly by federal courts if that's alright with you?" Moon said, hoping to end this particular issue, quickly.

Unfortunately for Pluto, that answer was not to be.

"I plan to kill her." Ranma stated.

Akane gasped slightly but then, after a few moments of thought, nodded. "She deserves it."

"No! You can't! She… s-she's saved our lives so many times now! You can't do that!" Hotaru, or Saturn, exclaimed.

"I dislike Pluto myself but, death? What has she done to deserve such a punishment?" Mercury asked, perplexed.

Ranma stayed silent for a moment, contemplating his answer. Akane looked at him as anxiously as the scouts did until he finally said. "She imprisoned me… left me in a world of everlasting darkness for eighteen thousand years of loneliness and torture. I forgot everything. I didn't remember what it was like to _feel_ clothing! Couldn't remember the touch of _anything_ save the cold hard floor. I couldn't remember my love's name. Do you understand that? I could not _remember_ the reason for my determination to return! I forgot all my ties to this world! Forgot how to taste! How to smell! My insides rotted away, and now beneath this skin I'm brittle rotten bone, older than a hundred, a thousand times your age! She stole my life, hope, sanity, and love… and for this sin, I will kill her."

His speech ended on a somber, mute tone. Until Usagi broke the silence with just a small nod.

"Come. Take my hand. I will take you there. Be prepared… Pluto is older, be your story true or not, than even you I think, Ranma." Moon said in a sorrowful tone. "I don't like this… She has been my guardian for a very long time now… but these crimes cannot go un-punished."

"But Princess Serenity! How can you believe this man? He just killed Venus and Jupiter right in front of you!" Uranus yelled trying desperately to convince her princess that she was mistaken.

This man was evil! Pluto said so! How many times? How MANY times had Pluto been wrong? The times she had been right and truthful FAR outweighed her wrongs!

"Uranus your mistaken! Use your brain! What would you have done if I-" Neptune said trying to convince her lover, Uranus, of Pluto's wrongs.

"He is EVIL! As is the girl, Akane I'll bet! That must be it! If they draw us to fight like this! They are evil I tell you! Look at all Pluto has done for us! How can you trust this man over her?"

"LOOK AT HIS EYES!" Usagi screamed as she snapped around. "Are his eyes the eyes of a liar? Look Uranus! Look Haruka! If someone demands the immediate death of another don't you think there would be a decent reason?"

Surprised yet again at the outburst from the blonde, Uranus did as told. She saw nothing. She saw as Usagi had, albeit inadvertently, said. A liar.

"You are wrong Usagi!" She said with a sneer. "Pluto has been around for almost twenty millennia! She knows what she is doing more so that a little twit like you!"

The rest of the Senshi gasped in mute shock at Uranus's disloyalty to Usagi. Sure she had name called Usagi before, but this outright… contempt, amazed them all.  
Moon sighed and then said, "Uranus, you have to learn to see people… I don't know Ranma, but from a moments glance at him, and a few sparse words… along with all the information against her, not to mention Akane's… daughter was it?"

Akane nodded.

"Pluto is wrong. She started this, and now you must decide where your loyalties lie… the crown, or Pluto."

"Damn it you insolent _CHILD_! Your wrong!" Uranus snarled. "I trust Pluto. If she thinks kidnapping that woman's baby is for the best! It's for the best!" she exclaimed.

Haruka didn't even see the fist that broke her nose and left her unconscious. Akane had sprung upon her so quickly that even Ranma almost missed it and was still unable to do anything about it.

Moon looked down at her unconscious comrade. "I thought better of you, Uranus. Kidnap? Deceit? These aren't ways to peace. The ends don't justify the means…"

Akane stood in a lunging position, breathing hard, fist outstretched, standing over the lifeless body of Haruka, formally known as Sailor Uranus.

Michiru, or Neptune, looked on in horror as Usagi knelt down next to her lover. "No no! You can't princess! Please! Her offence isn't worth this! It will devastate her!" Michiru cried.

"She blindly follows Pluto even after all her wrong doings. She is also unfit to be a Senshi. I'm sorry, Michiru… I know you love her. But she can't be trusted by me any longer after this..." Usagi stated.

Moon knelt down and held a hand over the unconscious girl's head. "I Queen Serenity, here, do by and forthwith, withdraw your status as Senshi of the Planet Uranus. May the power you once possessed go to hands better suited than your own. Goodbye, Haruka."

A small flash of light withdrew from Haruka's body and was held in Usagi's hands for a moment. The light was a golden brown sphere of color, pulsing with power.

"Go…" Usagi whispered. "I need person suited to the job the Senshi of Uranus is to carry out."

The ball of light zoomed away at an alarming pace, moving towards the west. The other Senshi gulped. This definitely was NOT the Usagi they knew.

After a long moment of silence, save for the weeping from Michiru, who now knelt by Haruka, Venus moved forward to Moon. "Uh… Usa-chan. Don't um… don't' you think that was a little… well… harsh? I mean… she just went by what she believed and…"

"And what about next time, Venus? What if next time, Pluto told her to kill me? That THAT was for the best? She would have blindly followed! She trusted Pluto over me! I CAN'T have that! If I'm to accept TRUE responsibility for my future actions… that _can not_ happen! I must have trust in my Senshi. I trust you all… and thought that Uranus was trustworthy as well… I was wrong. I need you to be able to trust me and my judgment also, but foremost I need you to be able to realize truth when you see it… to think for yourselves. Don't be blind."

The scouts, STILL awed by what their leader had become, that being a leader, were frightened by the seriousness of the situation that had befallen them. Usagi, was FINALLY, becoming a TRUE queen. How… odd… yet still it was true.

Usagi moved over to a spot in a clearing, a little ways away from Uranus. "Come on. We're going to Pluto."

"Um… last… time I checked… we couldn't breath on Pluto… eheh." Ranma said.

Akane sighed dejectedly and elbowed him in the shoulder, not because she was angry with him but more, she was angry at the fact that there was yet another barrier between her and what she wanted. She had sighed in relief when Usagi had told her she'd take them to Pluto, but then Ranma had dashed her hopes of getting her baby back with his, abnormally smart for once, comment.

"It is Pluto's castle. Don't worry. You'll be able to breath. Pluto is as human as the rest of us. She breathes as well." Moon said as she twisted around towards them. "Come on, I need a circle. Sailor Teleport."

They formed a circle, the Senshi, feeling odd leaving the unconscious ex-Uranus on the ground, not to mention odd at the newcomers. The newcomers, being Ranma and Akane, felt odd at the idea of forming joined circle for no apparent reason in the middle of a wooded clearing.

Ranma clasped Mercury's hand on his left, and Akane's on his right. Akane, held Ranma and Jupiter.

Ranma didn't miss the glare and sparks erupting between his fiancee and the Senshi of the largest planet. They hated each other, and most likely always would.

Suddenly the Senshi around Ranma and Akane began to glow. Jupiter halted her glare and closed her eyes, as did the rest of the Senshi, save Moon. And with that, they were gone.

* * *

"You damn cats! Why do you keep talking to me? I'm just seeing things… your just… just… figments of my imagination! That's right!" Ryoga screamed as he ran. "We can't help it! We need to get back! First off how in the world did you lead us to a _jungle_?" The white cat, formally known as Artemis asked. 

"I don't know! Damn you Ranma! This is all your fault! First you send my life to hell! Then you show me happiness such that I'd never known! And _now_ you _abandon_ me, and sick talking cats on me!" Ryoga screamed at the sky. "This is **ALL YOUR FAULT**!"

"No one "suck" us on you! We were simply hitching a ride since you were going quickly in the same direction, and then _you_, you baffoon, brought us to a Jungle! And now _we_ are forced to depend on _you_ for survival!" Luna cried in frustration. The boy had been screaming at this "Ranma" for fifteen minutes!

Suddenly, another growl erupted from behind them and the third leopard they had seen in the last half hour jumped out and attacked the small cats.

Ryoga automatically slammed a fist into the leopard, however, the cats again were curled into balls, huddled together in fear.

"T-this… I-is all y-your fault…. A-Artemis!" Luna stuttered.

"My fault! You're the one who said we should hitch a ride!" Artemis roared back.

Another leopard appeared, jumped and was blocked by the Hibiki boy, silencing both cats.

"And now your making me protect them? What sort of sick joke is this Ranma!" Ryoga screamed at the sky again.

Both cats sighed, chuckling at the dumbness of it all.

"The S-Senshi will have to f-fend for themselves for a w-while." Luna said as she recovered from her fear. "It seems the only way back is to follow this dolt!"

As Ryoga pulled out an worn looking paper fan to ward off the heat, the two cats realized just how stupid they had accidentally been.

* * *

Pluto was impressed. Amazingly impressed, yet again! Her princess… er… ex-princess, had shown amazing judgment in her words and executed the situation involving Uranus perfectly! It, had she and the Senshi still been friends, would have hurt Pluto herself due to the loss of Uranus's worthiness and usefulness. However, based on Usagi's situation, it was the right and smart thing to do. 

But unfortunately all would be wasted… All her efforts… all the things that she had planned that had brought her to this time. This time, where people she once knew in the Silver Millenium were exactly the same… just wearing different faces. She would have to outlive yet again. Stand alone yet again… and next time, in the next twenty thousand years, she wouldn't fail. She would remember the price for failure. Another eternity…

Now, she was prepared and, as she felt the presence of several persons appear within the area of her castle, she waited.

The Senshi would meet their doom here. Along with Ranma Saotome.

* * *

Ranma found himself in a blazing swirl of colored lights. Akane's head lulled as did his own. He clung desperately to the hand of the girl he stood next to. Ignoring the loud "CRACK" he heard from the girl, and the scream that bellowed from her mouth he, he still held down. 

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, their feet touched solid ground again.

Glancing at Akane he found that her hair was in an amusing sort of contorted form that he had previously thought impossible. The blue hair dye she usually used had been dissolved, leaving his unadulterated fiancee. Black hair flying everywhere, as nature intended.

Usagi saw all of this. Experiencing the Senshi teleport, without the Senshi's magical defenses was said to be a little dangerous and tiring. But Usagi wasn't worried about Akane. What she was worried about, was the jerking and screaming Mercury on Ranma's left.

Ranma stifled a chuckle at Akane's hair, not caring about the girl on his left, and dropped the hands of the girls on both his sides.

Akane grabbed her hand instantly, and rubbed it profusely. However, the girl on his right slumped to the floor screaming bloody murder.

"HE BROKE MY HAND! HE BROKE MY HAND!" The blue-haired Senshi screamed.

It was true. Her hand was literally crushed. Her palm collapsed in on itself, with her fingers creaking around with ugly sounding cracks and crinkles.

Ranma, now finally noticing the girl's pain, knelt down next to the wailing girl. "I… I… uh.."

"Oh stop whining Mercury!" Saturn exclaimed boldly as she touched the injury.

It healed quickly, as all injuries cured by Saturn did, leaving nothing more than a hard breathing Mercury.

After a short time, Mercury stood, dusted her self off, and gave a very Un-Ami like glare at one Ranma Saotome. "THAT HURT!" She screamed suddenly.

"I'm sorry!" Ranma eeked.

Akane just sighed as she watched the interaction, all the while, only rubbing a slightly sore palm, wondering if Ranma had possibly done that on purpose.

"Ranma. I know you have some reason to hate or dislike us, but I'd appreciate it if you'd NOT break my hands without a good reason!" Mercury said angrily.

"Aneri Aneri!" Ranma cried unconsciously slipping into the language of the world he had recently been on, unconsciously. Mercury looked at him, confused.

"What?" He asked, wondering why they were all giving him blank stares.

After a moment of awkward silence, Akane said suddenly. "So… this is Pluto?"

On hard rock, or ice. None of them could tell which. But before them stood an enormous castle. It spanned probably five to ten stories, with hundreds of towers. Huge doors that appeared to be made of stone stood before them. The castle was made of individual bricks of what appeared to be stone was well looking very much like an abnormally tall and large, medieval castle. The huge doors were probably ten meters tall and four meters wide, arcing up to a pointed tip at the top. The roofs of the towers held an illustrious glow to them, as if they had been painted with gems or glowing lights.

At the top of the tallest tower, there was a massive green light, erupting out from it, and covering the entire area of the intruder's vision. Ranma looked around him, first at the amazing castle, which some how reminded him of a larger Fal Dara, and then to the depths of space. Far, far, _far_, away in the deep depths of space, he could make out a tiny yellow speck, brighter than the millions of stars laid before him.

"That's the sun, isn't it?" He wondered silently.

He glanced over at Akane and noticed that she looked visibly shaken. They were literally ON the Planet of Pluto. X several million miles away from ANY form of Civilization. It was no wonder Akane was afraid. Even Ranma, who had seen eternal lives involving fear, was a little bit disturbed by the sheer distance, let alone that they were still alive on a Planet as cold as this one, knowing it had no atmosphere. It was all rather… impossible to say the least.

"My god… I knew she _had_ a castle but this is incredible!" Moon muttered, sounding childish again. She wasn't nearly as impressed by the distance… it seemed she had done something like this before as she only barely noted the fact that the Sun still existed down there."Yeah, we've only ever seen the room that has the gates of time but never Pluto itself. Sailor Moon, is something wrong with your teleportation? I figured you would bring us right into the room that holds the gates of time." Mars asked curiously.

Ranma couldn't help his outburst. "What IS Sailor Pluto? What are these gates of time! Why did she kidnap me all those years ago?"

Some of the Sailors, frightened by the sudden outburst, backed away from Ranma.

"I want to know too!" Akane said angrily. "What right does she have to kidnap my fiancee! Especially when.. When um… well…"

"When you were pregnant?" Ranma supplied.

Akane gave Ranma a sharp glare and he winced a little with a mouthed "sorry."

Akane sighed, even more exasperated. "When I was pregnant." She finished. "And NOW She's stolen my DAUGHTER! What does she want from us?"

Usagi, as Ranma and Akane expected, recovered from their outburst the fastest. She appeared, as the leader, to be the strong, dependable Senshi. "Pluto is the Guardian of the Gates of time. She can view possible futures based on what is currently happening. Her goal is to create Crystal Tokyo, which is a reborn Silver Millennium. I'm going to assume that her reason for kidnapping you is somewhere along the lines of you being a threat to her goal. Your… daughter on the other hand… I haven't the slightest clue"  
"I might." Ami, a.k.a. Mercury piped in.

All eyes turned to her, save for Chibi Usa, who was still amazed with the castle, and Neptune who was sitting on the rocky ground, crying.

"When Ranma came back, perhaps, Pluto knew, or found out of your intentions to remove her from her position as guardian of time, Sailor Moon. If THAT'S true then she might have kidnapped Keika as a hostage, or worse, as bait." Mercury said, happy to finally be able to put forth some information that her leader didn't have.

Finding motivation, figuring tactics, and strategizing, were usually her area of expertise. She had been beginning to think she was useless as it seemed that Usagi was learning these things so rapidly.

Suddenly an enormous and eerie creaking sound permeated the area on which they stood. "Hey look, hey look!" Usa exclaimed. "The doors are opening!"

Sure enough the doors were opening, creating the ugly and creepy sound.

"Odd that she would simply allow us in if she knows of our plans." Jupiter said, to Venus in particular, but Ranma interpreted it as a general comment to everyone.

"Lets go." Moon said defiantly.

She led the way into the rusty castle, haughtily and angrily.

Upon entering, the Senshi, Ranma, and Akane, were greeted with the sight on an enormous front-room looking area. Set up in the midst of the room were random chairs that looked to be made of either comfortable fleece, or possibly rough nylon. The white marble floor only made it look more extravagant, albeit creepy.

The room was built in a great circle, with a few doors exiting to other chambers and the main door behind them. About a story and a half upward were candle lit chandeliers, and enormous old portraits and statues situated around the upper part of the room. All in all this gave the entire place a gloomy, eerie, haunted house sort-of feeling.

Suddenly, a loud and angry voice erupted from everywhere. "SO! Strip ME of MY Powers eh, Princess? I made you! I MADE YOU! You wouldn't be half of what you are without me! You wouldn't be ANYTHING without me! A simple little ditz of a Blonde, too stupid to even make it to school on time!" The voice echoed.

"Sailor Pluto. I can no longer comply with your actions. It has become obvious that you seek a power that is not and never shall be given to you. Behind the excuse of Crystal Tokyo you have done the unthinkable. Come out quietly, and return the child, and I will attempt to convince Ranma not to end your life." Sailor Moon said calmly.

Moon's scouts were visibly shaken. Old memories, too old and forgotten, stirred within their thoughts. Dreams of previous lives. When they had been small in their past lives, they had feared this haunted place. Here they stood again…

Akane stood straight and defiant. "Show yourself, pathetic coward! I want my daughter back, and I'll rip your spine out to get to her!"

"You won't get the chance." Said, not the voice, but the person who was Sailor Pluto, appearing before them all.

Suddenly, the Book within Ranma's coat grew scalding hot, burning straight through his old fashioned coat. The second degree burn on his chest, however, went unnoticed by the horribly pained Ranma.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed as he fell to the floor clutching his aching, hunger-ridden stomach.

"I free you from your immortality." She said, angrily.

Ranma squirmed on the floor, crushing his stomach, trying desperately to crush the ever-growing gap within his abdomen that was his stomach.

"Usagi!" Pluto said loudly. "Yes mistress?" Usagi replied humbly as she knelt before the lady. The beautiful green haired lady that she couldn't help but obey. It was all Usagi could do not to kiss the woman's feet.

"I must ask you, little children, why you feel it necessary to remove me from my post?" Pluto asked politely.

All of the scouts, who were similarly on their knees, bowing to the beautiful mistress who was Pluto, answered at the same time, differently, causing a garbled mess of words and confusion.

"SILENCE!" Pluto yelled, as Ranma still squirmed on the floor.

The Senshi fell silent instantly, staring vacantly, yet obediently, at Pluto.

The green-haired lady stood atop a staircase, also made of fine white marble, that led down into the room, directly across from the entrance. It was an elegant stair with a titanium guard rail, that Pluto held as she slowly walked down the steps, wearing her usual Senshi outfit.

"Usagi! Answer!" She ordered.

"I was foolish mistress! I only wish to please you! Only this! Please! Please how can I make up for this perilous grievance I have committed?" Moon begged staring, starry-eyed at the woman whom she came, intending to kill.

"Yes! Please! Allow us to make up for our actions!" Mars bellowed callously.

Through his horrid sense of hunger… mighty un-yielding hunger, Ranma vaguely remembered the feeling from what seemed like a past life. Rejuvenated by the idea and memory of ways to fix it, without food, he instantly redirected his ki flows, bathing himself deep within the Soul of Ice technique. With all this, ability to think, or perhaps a memory of the ability to think, appeared within him.

He glanced around, still whimpering at his aching stomach, to see all of the Scouts, bowing to the Pluto woman.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, behind his un-yielding pain he though, "Damnit!"

"What… ar… you… ah! I… I love my daughter…! I lo-hate… you!" Akane muttered as she fought with her own mind, glaring at the green-haired lady. "I won't fall to some little mind trick! No.. not when my daughter's on the line!" Akane screamed.

She charged Pluto in a mad rage intending to easily send her to the world of unconsciousness as quickly as possible. And just as suddenly, she found herself entangled, as if an iron cord had wrapped around her hands and feet. She was bound by some sort of invisible weave of air.  
"What the hell?" She screamed, as she flew forward, face first, slamming down on the hard marble floor.

"Well then. Scouts? To repay the damage you have done to me, I demand the death of this woman." Pluto exclaimed.

"Anything mistress!" The scouts replied in unison.

They all turned to look directly at Akane. And for the first time in a rather long while, a bound Akane, knew fear.

Ranma watched, his hunger, plaguing him. Seeing his, somewhat allies turn on him so abruptly, placed a fear in his heart of Pluto's capabilities. Both of them, that is, he and Akane, subdued so easily... It was pathetic. He screamed once again, begging the desecrating pain to stop, just for a moment… so just for a moment, he could stop writhing on the floor.

Then he saw it. Bathed in his, at the moment, practically worthless soul of ice technique, which was not strong enough to dampen the horrid feeling of hunger, he saw this light. The light… the light was so clear. That light that usually lay behind a veil. The veil was no longer there! The light was free for him to touch! Free! Open!

He grabbed it for the third time in his life. But this time it wasn't the same. More powerful by miles as the veil no longer hindered it's seeping into his sense of being. However, there was a wrongness to it. It felt… sickening. Like glue or tar, steaming through his veins. Yet still the wonderful sensation that had wracked his soul with feeling was there. But most importantly, the power was still there.

Through the muck and sickness of if all, he directed this newfound light to something useful. His stomach. The pain, while it wasn't lessened at all in truth, was dampened due to his lack of feeling, within this light that was called Saidin. With his hunger finally brought down to bearable levels, he looked up to a sight that was, once again, from his worst nightmares.

"MANEK! OEG LOOEN ENE LOVER SEREHENIME!" He screamed helplessly in the language that none present understood.

_Rainbow Moon…_

_Moon Pink Sugar…_

_Mars Flame…_

_Jupiter Oak…_

_Mercury Aqua…_

_Venus Love and…_

_Saturn Silence glaive…_

_Neptune deep…_

A smirk appeared on Pluto's face as the Senshi aimed their attacks at the struggling Akane.

And suddenly, Akane screamed. "**HELP ME RANMA!**"

And he did just that. Wobbling his body so that he faced the Senshi of Time, he lay his palm outstretched along the ground, aimed at her. A green burst of heavily depressive ki erupted in a cylindrical bar, about one foot in diameter and two in length, of energy from Ranma's hand directly at the Senshi of Pluto.

Pluto was too surprised to even have a chance to react. It blasted forward, though not right on center, directly where her arm had once been. The remaining force of the blast flung her backwards into a far wall, while the energy continued going, busting through the castle in an upward direction, leaving a ventilation hole through the walls of the castle. As Pluto slowly rose, it took a moment for her to register what had just happened. And then another moment still for her own set of gut-wrenching pain to set in.

"_AaaaaaaAAAAAHHHHHHHHH_!" She screamed as she stared in horror at her left arm, or lack thereof.

Where her arm had once been, now rested naught more than a stub, blood leaking from it and falling to the floor, quickly creating an ugly puddle.

The second Pluto was hit, Akane's bonds were destroyed and she jumped to the ceiling, just as all of the Senshi's explosive attacks blew up the center floor of the room.

Pluto now lay in a crumpled heap on the right side of the room, from the entrance, while Akane crouched on one knee breathing hard on the other side.

"A-a-aaaH!" Pluto moaned. "Th-this! This isn't over! Damnitall!" She exclaimed. "How did he do that? How did that bastard do that? He can't! No one has had access to Saidin in a few thousand years! That's not possible!" She thought angrily.

With that she disappeared, leaving nothing more than a puddle of blood, eight unconscious Senshi, one abnormally unscathed, and now unbound, girl, and a man, still wriggling on the floor, clutching his stomach like mad screaming, "Make it stop! Make it stop, oh kami, make it stop!"

* * *

"DAMN!" Pluto gasped between breathing. She stumbled about the upper floors of her castle, trying desperately to keep her balance. Living for the plus side of twenty thousand years had given her a few quick remedies to situations like lost arms and the like. Some how she hadn't expected to use it. 

Making it to her living quarters, she wobbled into her bathroom and acquired the healing salve for which almost any injury could be healed. She applied it directly to her blood soaked stub of an arm and waited.

Nothing happened.

Looking closely at the label on the bottle of green liquid she read, "Expiration Date: May 3, 1711."

"DAMN!" She shouted again. It didn't work but the pain subsided greatly. And she thought she could see visible skin growing where her arm had once been, so all in all the green potion wasn't a complete waste.  
"Ranma Saotome will pay." She thought angrily. It would be far more difficult this time, she knew. There was no way the Senshi would let themselves be tricked by Compulsion again. She had KNOWN she should have left Compulsion as her trump card.

Compulsion. The ability to turn someone into a slave be grabbing and tugging on the mind with spirit flows of Saidar. It had worked perfectly. The girl that her powers were meant to go to after she was stripped of them in, half the timelines, would have been dead if it weren't for that damn loss of concentration she got from being slammed into the wall!  
The force of being pulled away from Saidar had created some sort of backlash which had fortunately left the Senshi unconscious. At least for the time being they were, but she was still at a disadvantage, considering the odds.

Now she couldn't attack. She would have to wait them out and let what other traps she had, take them out. Leaving people alone in another dimension wasn't just a punishment. It could kill them too…

"Guerilla Warfare." She said to herself mutely. Suddenly she began a low chuckle. Keika awoke and began crying again.

* * *

"Come on Ranma, help me out here! W-what can I.. can I do?" Akane screamed at her louder-screaming fiancee. 

Ranma's hands were squeezing his stomach to the point of ripping them in half with the pain. The other scouts were simply unconscious but it appeared that Neptune and Saturn were coming around.

"Ooooh… my… head." Saturn, as the first to regain consciousness, muttered.

Akane went on edge, gulping a little in fear at the Senshi, remembering the arrays of light coming from each one that would have killed her, had Ranma not ended the mind spell.

"Oh what in the hell did we just do?" Mars screamed as her eyes suddenly popped open.

"H-hey! Red scou-um… Mars! I need help! P-Pluto did s-something to Ranma! Y-your… st-still on our side, right!" Akane asked slightly fearfully. She knew she could defeat Mars, but not all of them.

Mars bounded to where Akane was quickly. She crouched down and huddled over Ranma, who appeared to be on the verge of ripping his stomach off of his body. Then, without looking at Akane, she said. "She had us under some sort of spell, Akane. I… I'm really sorry. I don't know what it was but it… I was compelled to do that… I'm sorry."

"Yeah yeah! Accepted! Now can you do anything for my fiancee so he can help me get my daughter back!" Akane said, now angrily, but on the inside, more than relieved.

Mars smiled. Akane was much like herself, she thought.

"Need… fooooood…." Ranma wailed.

"He's obviously suffering from hunger beyond all reason. But, I just don't get…" Mars trailed off.

Suddenly Ranma leaned over to his right, and vomited some white creamy element that could have once been rice.

"Get out of the way!" Saturn yelled, pulling Mars back. As always, she hated to see people in pain. "Um… I…" She muttered and then just went with it. She lifted his old cloak and placed her hand against his stomach, hoping that her healing powers would do something. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

"Oh… Um… I… Does anyone have any food?" Saturn asked.

The Senshi, all of whom were slowly returning to consciousness, all replied the same answer. "No."

Usagi, who was the last to wake, and only did so due to shaking from her daughter, Usa, and Hotaru, walked quickly over to Ranma.

"He's a victim of one of Pluto's oldest tricks. She's done it for centuries. Arg… I just can't remember… She has taken the immortality… there… item… ack! It's so vague! Ranma? Is there some sort of item that gave you your immortality?" Usagi asked crudely.

Ranma's only response was another scream.

"Yes! Yes he has a book!" Akane exclaimed pulling it from his pocket in his tunic.

"This was it?" Moon asked.

"Mmhmm… but… it looked much prettier when he showed it to me a while ago… and at the center page there was like a video that showed through someone else's eyes."

And suddenly, a flood of memories bombarded the Bunny of the Moon.

* * *

-Flashback-  
"Momma?" The princess asked softly. She had been rather happy that today her lessons had been from her mother. They were always the most interesting. Queen Serenity always had something to say that would peak her interest. Today she had been talking about her Sailors and ways that, if they ever abused their powers, she could punish them. 

"…And that is what Neptune's punishment would be for an offence such as over-imposed hierarchy. The last, Neptune did it several thousand years ago and I was forced to remove her and her line." Serenity said calmly.

"Um… mommy… what about… Pluto? What's the worst offence Pluto ever did?" The little girl asked, curiously.

"Pluto's crimes are that of a different sort. She has a castle on her home Planet, however, she has no people who exist there, for they would be a distraction from her job. These years of loneliness really got to the last Sailor Pluto and the woman began to push for her own goals. Fortunately, this was her downfall. Pluto has an irregular ability to make an item, for all normal purposes, indestructible. Then, she can link said item, to a person, making them, immortal."

"So… what did she do?" The princess asked. Serenity smiled and answered quickly.

"Pluto did this to over a hundred thousand people, in the hopes of attaining my position, though it wasn't held by me at the time. It had been my mothers as it will one day be yours"  
"But… what's so bad about making people immortal?" The young blonde asked.

"That is not all she did. Having made these people immortal, they had begun to depend on their immortality. That being said, as an immortal they didn't have to eat, nor did they feel pain from malnutrition. What Pluto did, was sever all of these connections in an instant, making hundreds of people feel as if they would starve. It was her most gravest offence. Hundreds of thousands of people she had given these items to, died within the next day, after incredible torture. For a time, Pluto even gained my throne. Fortunately she was quickly overthrown and I was placed here." Serenity said.

"Wow… so… so… what do I do if this ever happens to me? If… if Pluto ever does this… what should I do?" The princess asked, now enticed by this story of her Mother's past.

"Pray that it never does firstly. But however, if it does… to her, she must be stripped of power immediately. But this is what you must do to save the life of one who was under her immortality spell…"

Serenity continued to explain the various methods that had been discovered that would aid in the survival of one inflicted by the interventions of Pluto, but by this time, the six year old girl's attention had turned to something else, leaving her only vaguely aware of what to do should the situation arise.

-End Flashback-

* * *

"Well, the only thing I can think of is just a Healing spell of some sort, eh Moon? Moon?" Jupiter asked, as the crouched around Ranma. 

Moon snapped back to from her reverie, angry at her past in-attentiveness. Fortunately, she had remembered enough of what to do.

"Eh, wha-what?" She asked.

"A healing spell maybe?" Jupiter asked.

Usagi thought for a moment… her memories told her…

"No." She said aloud.

"Give me that book." She ordered.

Akane handed it over quickly.

She held her outstretched palm over the book for a moment. And suddenly, she felt as if she were falling face forward into a sea of lives, viewed through this book. It was incredible. Thousands… hundreds of thousands of stories told in those blank pages… All she had to do was…

She found it. A line of energy from the book, traced out from it however… severed. Then she looked to Ranma. There it was… the same, red, energy wrought line of power. All she had to do was connect them.

Her silver Imperium crystal glowed white. Her magics flowed from within her and to the two lines of energy connecting the man to the stories of his past. The line shook, became lively and, as her power move into it, changed to a sky-blue color. It danced for a moment, stretching out, each line towards the other.

And they connected.

Suddenly, the brown book erupted in a white and beautiful light. The brown dull cover became encrusted with gold, hard as steel. In the center, on the correct page, the life of Setuma Ayo sprang back into view.

Ranma let loose and enormous sigh, sweat dripping off his brow, he breathed heavily but, happily. His pain was ended.

Usagi smiled. She wasn't such a screw up after all!

Now all this had left them, that is the scouts, at an utter stalemate with Pluto. Neither were ready or capable of attack yet. Surely that chunk of arm Pluto had lost would do some damage.

The candles went out instantly, leaving only the pale green light, drafting in from the staircase and outside the doors to light the room with an eerie green glow.

And suddenly… a great… dark, smoke covered… hand appeared before them. It reeked of putrid death and blood. Smoke wafted off the evil abomination into the room, clouding their sense of sight and smell.

"MY NAI BLISS…" Came an devastatingly evil voice. The voice sent shrill slanders of pain up their bodies causing a painful sensation to their ears and head.

Not one of the people present in the room was left un-touched by the dreadful hand. It's mere presence told all instinct to get up and run. Fear of Death. Or fear of torture. Fear of Darkness. Fear itself told them all to run, however, all of them were locked in place by their own, terrified feeling of dread.

The hand wafted upward and disappeared through the ceiling touching none of them, and leaving them more frightened than any had ever been before...

"What… was… that?" A heavily frightened Usa asked, voicing everyone else's thoughts.

Ranma lay breathing, blissfully unaware of the shadow wrought hand, thinking to himself, "Pluto will die. Pluto, must die…"

All the while, fear clenched his heart but, due to his position on the ground, he couldn't see or understand why.

The words "MY NAI BLISS…" however, would be held within his soul forever.

* * *

Shia'tan moved his hand up along the castle of Pluto. Finally… finally he was able to acquire his TRUE Nai Bliss. But those annoying gates, would have to go. They slowed down that entire section and made the gap between the two worlds devastatingly hard to get across, as he was now. 

His hand found the Gates of Time… The Looking Glass of Time. And with that, he crushed them. And time mended itself. The wheel was whole again. Both sides of the wheel now turned equally. And now… he could touch both worlds. The Lord of the Dark, would reign once again…

* * *

Min Farshaw, was a rather simple girl in general. She stood now though, at the right hand of power. Power beyond reason. The man she loved, Rand Al'thor. Lord of the Morning. He Who Comes With the Dawn. She now stayed by his side, aiding when she could with her unique, future telling ability. It was an interesting ability she had. The ability to see things on people. Symbols that she sometimes could understand, and oftentimes could not. Logain's Halo of glory. Rand, with more symbols than she could shake a stick at. Such as the ones about his two, other loves. One was Elayne, she knew. 

And suddenly, a blue bauble of light appeared before her. Suddenly, it popped, and out of it appeared a small object that fell directly into her hand.

It appeared to be an amazingly well crafted, midnight blue pen. It held on it, a small, shape. It wasn't unlike that of a half circle… just refine in some way. She didn't know what to call the shape. Just that it was beautiful.

And with that, she felt the words rise within her. It was late at night but she would have gaurds. None of it mattered though as she held the pen above her head and shouted.

"Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"

The guards rushed in at her shout. It sounded like gibberish to their ears, or at least another language. But the sight they were greeted with upon entering Min's Quarters was akin to that of a fairy tale…

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

Cliffie Cliffie! 

So that's my next chapter. How'd you like? Have I begun this final battle well? If you would, please leave a review! I know it's not exactly what I expected. There were a few things that I didn't get to in this chapter that will be done in the next and final chapter of So Be It. I'd hoped to be able to wrap this all up in this chapter and the epilogue, but if I did that then this chapter would be… eheh. Bout twenty thousand words long? Heh I know you guys like long chaps and stuff by jeez! Give my poor hands a break! Well. I hoped you liked and Hope you leave a review! By the way. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS ON CHAPTER EIGHT! They made me sooo happy!

**To my Girlfriend**: I LOVE YOU MY GORGEOUS! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT, AS MUCH AS I ENJOYED WRITING IT!

(Don't worry, what I told you would happen, will in the next chap… heh. Love you!)

Sorry this chapter took so long. It wasn't writers block… just… writers laziness. I don't know why but I couldn't get into the swing of writing like usual, but when I finally did, it felt great! I love publishing new chapters!

So, thank you again to all of you who reviewed and I hope you enjoyed Chapter Nine of So Be It. P.S. On a cool side note. Before I published this chapter, I have posted, EXACTLY Two hundred fifty thousand and one words. Cool? I thought it was. Heh. See you next time and can't wait to hear your responses!

P. P. S. Sorry Silence-Darkness!


	10. Not Alone

_"The beginning of her time of darkness was the same time as her loss of power. You see, by now she changed sides, going from advisor to the pure, to advocate of the dark. Setsuna Meiou had become truly evil and unquestionably insane by this time."_

_Furinkan High School,  
An Eighth Grade History Class,  
Nerima District of Tokyo, Japan,  
Spring, The year 0023 A. M._

* * *

**Chapter 10: Not Alone**

* * *

Ukyo Kuonji was having a very bad day. This starting by the fact that her name was no longer Ukyo Kuonji… just Ukyo now. She was a ronin, abandoned by her family, left to rot on the streets. Without a family name, banks wouldn't loan her the money to begin another "Uuchan's." She also could not go back to her old restaurant because her family, or ex-family, had taken and sold it.

So she had been wandering, alone for the past three or four months… lonely. Well, she'd been alright with that. She'd been expecting to lose her family name when Ranma left her for Akane. It only made her feel better when Ranma had disappeared. If she couldn't have Ranma, at least Akane couldn't either.

Though she had befriended Akane during Ranma's absence. It had been a rocky friendship, but it worked out in the end. Then, after that Ukyo had been forced to return to her home to give one last shot at making her father see that she could not marry, or kill, Ranma Saotome.

So she was disowned. Did she enjoy her new, nameless life? Not in the least. She would _kill_ to have her family name back, and again be in the running for Ranma's heart. But she couldn't go back to Nerima now… she was a disgrace. Not in the Tendo's eyes, nor Ranma's, but she was in her own. She had heard in passing that Akane was pregnant… big shocker there. Ukyo knew that if she'd had half the opportunity Akane had with Ranma, she'd have been pregnant _years_ ago!

But none of these were the true reason for her bad day. These were just icing on the cake. The real reason for her bad day today was something else entirely. The real reason, was the diminutive little prune-like man standing beneath her.

"So _this_ is where you've been my beautiful Ukyo! How have you been these past couple of months?" asked the perverted lecher.

"Dry up and die, old man…" Ukyo said with less than half the vigor she once possessed. She then continued walking down the road, but of course, the perverted old man known as Happosai followed her. She was on a rather nameless highway between Tokyo and Sapporo, and how the old letch had found her was a complete mystery.

"Oh come on, lil' Uuchan! It's not so bad! Why here I was willing to offer you a loan but, if your going to be so downhearted about it…" Happosai sighed dejectedly.

"Yeah right, since when do you have money?" Ukyo asked impatiently. She bit back her response that only Ranma could call her "Uuchan," and continued with her questioning and edgy glare.

Happosai grinned. He had reasons for keeping the girl around. If anything for her incredibly beautiful body, but more for her ability. She could use Saidar. She was, of course, by no means the best, but also not the worst.

"I've _always_ had money lil' Uuchan! I've just never felt the need to use it! It's so much easier to just live off those foolish students of mine." Happosai said happily.

"I… see?" Ukyo replied, confused.

"So! What do you say? How's about five hundred thousand yen to get you started, eh? I'll expect it back of course… but I know your okonomiyaki is the best, and I will expect you to be able to make this _easily_!" Happosai gushed, in his usual, elated tone.

"Y-you… are you… serious?" Ukyo asked, sounding hopeful. She knew that the old lecher was not usually this kind, and remained watchful for his usual perversion.

"Lil' Uuchan! I'm hurt that you would trust me so little! I-ACK!" Happosai exclaimed as Ukyo grabbed him, from his still position on the road, by his shirt collar and lifted him to her face.

"Ok, you dirty old man! What's the catch?" She exclaimed in anger.

He smiled.

"My only requirement is that you reside in Tokyo and learn from me." Happosai said happily.

"Learn… what?" Ukyo replied cautiously. Twitching as if accepting the offer would end up as the most horrible idea in the world. A few uncensored thoughts flitted about the rims of her mind involving ways she would be forced to "pay him back."

She shivered inwardly. Being at the financial mercy of Happosai was the _last_ thing she wanted.

"Oh stop cringing! I'm not planning on groping you!" Happosai shouted. "At least give me credit for something! It is… or at least will be within the next few years, a dire situation that we are in."

'Blink'

"Huh?" Ukyo questioned. Happosai had sounded almost… serious for a moment.

"You will be learning how to use Saidar. The female side of the true source of power." Happosai said irritably.

"The… wha… Um… well…" Ukyo stuttered.

She placed her chin in her hand and thought hard, contemplating on what she should do. More ideas were fluttering around in her head such as ending up a fifty-year-old, unmarried beggar, always wondering what could have been if she had accepted Happosai's offer.

Currently, the best that could happen to her was ending up permanently homeless, living on the streets beneath a bridge or something. What would she do for winter? Oh… winter would be hell…

In the end, it wasn't really much of a choice at all.

"I… accept… damn it…" she sighed dejectedly.

Happosai smiled. "Good, here you are! This card has exactly five hundred thousand yen on it. The password is "Two, six, six, two." I will be back in about two months… I have another recruit to require." Happosai said as he handed a shocked Ukyo a debit card.

Happosai bounded away quickly but then saw Ukyo following him.

"H-Hey! Wait!" she exclaimed running a few steps after him.

"Yes, child?" Happosai responded, turning quickly.

"First I wanna know why your offering this to me so easily! Second I wanna know who your recruit is, old freak!" Ukyo thought for a moment and decided that she should ask a final question. "And... why... haven't you tried to grope me?"

Happosai's smile widened.

"That's easy child. I'm offering because you could use it more than I. And my other recruit is Xian Pu! Who else would you expect?" Happosai exclaimed. "As for your third question, would you like me too?"

Happosai disappeared, leaving a somewhat satisfied, yet annoyed Ukyo.

She was satisfied in two ways, one being that she would be training with Shampoo, most likely. True their war for Ranma had waged on for a long time but now with him out of the picture, Ukyo could look at Shampoo for what she was. That was a really good fighter. She was no slouch herself in martial arts, but actually training with Shampoo would surely make both of them much better.

The second reason for her satisfaction was that she could now be successfully NOT homeless. Who wouldn't be satisfied for that?  
Her dissatisfaction, however, came from the fact that she felt much more... loose in the chest area after he disappeared.

The bra she had taken up wearing ever since she had been disowned, was no longer present on her breasts.

"Damn you, Happosai!" She exclaimed.

* * *

Rand al'Thor was angry. Blood and Ashes, he was angry! Min was gone. Someone had kidnapped his beloved Min. By the creator himself, Rand swore that whoever was at fault for this would experience the wrath of the Dragon Reborn.

"Where are you leading me?" Rand snapped at the guard, whose name he could not remember.

"My Lord Dragon, I take you to the cells where we put the blue lady, who we found in Min's quarters." The guard said hastily. His pace quickened as if trying not to anger Rand by his sloth.

Rand was more annoyed. Something wasn't adding up. They found _someone_ within Min's quarters when Min was not there? If the culprit was Aes Sedai, then there was bound to be trouble. Worse yet… what if it was a Forsaken in disguise, just waiting on him to arrive? Rand embraced the tainted, flaming, all-consuming power of Saidin, the male half of the true power, and readied himself for anything as the guard stopped at a specific door.

"We've kept her in here for the past week, my lord." The guard stuttered. "She fought us, repeatedly screaming that she was Min. I can't believe it though. Her unusual dress and attire makes the maidens who dance the sa'sara look conservative. The way her face seems to blur and distort, disguising herself? I just can't see her as Min as she says, my lord.

"Let me in." Rand said coldly.

The guard did so. He unlocked the chamber door with a key, prompting Rand to walk inside. Once there, he found a woman. A very beautiful woman.

"Oh Rand." The girl sighed in exasperated relief. "Thank the Light, your finally here! Please tell them to let me out! It's me, Rand! Tell me you can see that it's me!"

Rand looked into the woman's eyes. Her face blurred beneath his gaze, prying and forcing his sight from her face. It was unusual, how her features seemed to blend in. Her eyes would warble and blend as if her face were a pool enshrouded in tiny ripples disguising her figure. It tried to force him to not see who was behind the clothing. Rand could not understand it. The woman's face was perfectly clear, yet, entirely distorted at the same time.

This was something which Rand usually had an instinct on. Rand had felt attracted to a total of five women in his life. Those women were Egwene, Elayne, Aviendha, Min, Lanfear and Ilyena. This girl's clothing was a short piece of cloth which barely covered her vital areas, and only then, just a little bit. Rand felt attracted to this girl.

_"Oh, my beautiful Ilyena,"_ Lews Therin muttered in the back of Rand's mind.

"Damn." Rand thought. He didn't love Ilyena. Lews Therin did. Lews Therin Telamon. Lews Therin Kinslayer. One thousand years ago, this man went insane due to the taint of Saidin and killed all of his family. Now his dead or dying conscience resided in Rand al'Thor's sorely overworked mind. Lews's wife, whom Lews had killed himself due to insanity, was Ilyena.

Egwene had been his childhood companion, growing up with him. Originally, back when he had been a simple farm boy from the "Two Rivers" he had thought he would marry her. Now… now things between them were much different. He had word that she had became the Amyrlin Seat, the head of the Aes Sedai. It was more complicated then that he was sure, however it did not matter. Rand did not trust Aes Sedai. Nor did he think he ever would again in this lifetime.

Elayne was the Princess and now Queen of Andor with the death of her mother Morgase. Rand loved her dearly but had not seen the woman in almost seven months. She resided with Egwene he thought. He had sent Mat to watch her and bring her back to Caemlyn where she could accept the Lion Throne. The damn thing was a nuisance to Rand. He already had the thrones of Cairhien, Tear, Illian, and all the multitudes of the Aiel, except the Shaido. These thrones were becoming too much of a burden for him alone.

The Aiel woman Aviendha, ex-maiden of the spear and wise-one in training, was yet another love of his life. The woman confounded, confused, angered and made him smile all at the same time. Her strict following of ji'e'toh, the Aiel code of honor, led her to be furiously aloof of him. She avoided him when she wanted him because he had already been, based on her ji'e'toh ways, promised to Elayne.

He had seen many women who were more beautiful than all of his loves, save for Lanfear. Lanfear had been posing under the name Selene when he later he found that she was one of the Forsaken. Her name, in old tongue, meant "Daughter of the Night." Even so, she was, or had been, the most beautiful woman to ever grace they eyes of Rand. However, of the others, he had seen more beautiful woman and been completely unaffected by their wiles and charms.

This one, this girl, in front of him, he felt attracted to. While she had nothing capable of comparing to the beauty possessed by the Daughter of the Night, not to mention how Rand couldn't even see her properly, she did have a beauty and charm which coincided with the same attraction Rand held for a certain, backwater, village, stable-girl, named Min Farshaw.

"Min?" He asked as he painfully let go of the wonderful feeling of the one-power. "By the creator, what in the world are you wearing? And why is your face so… distorted?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Min exclaimed angrily. "As I was waking, a blue bauble of light appeared in front of me and popped. Then this pen appeared in my hands and suddenly I looked like this!"

"Well… I… must admit, it's really not what I'm used to seeing you in, but I don't mind the clothing at all." Rand quirked humorously.

Min's face flushed with fury, and also a hint embarrassment. "Rand al'Thor you are a prurient fool!"

Rand smiled, glad that his precious Min was safe. Only Min would insult him like that. Rand idly wondered what prurient meant. "Come on, Min." He said in a relieved tone.

Min grumbled a little bit but, truth be told, she was happy to have finally been released.

* * *

There was an awkward silence. Resting would not be a good idea. Their only choice was to move onward as soon as possible. However, until Ranma awoke that wouldn't be possible at all.

"ARRRGH! Damn it, Ranma! Wake up! We gotta find… we gotta find her. Come on, Ranma." Akane begged repeatedly.

She knelt on the hard stone floor, hovering over her fiancée's motionless body, and trying desperately to wake him. Akane felt somewhat guilty in fact. While true she wanted Ranma to wake, but the reason for wanting this was that she wanted to see her daughter more than anything else in the world. Nothing else mattered. Not even Ranma's own health or pain at the moment, which made her feel quite guilty indeed.

To get her baby back she had to wake Ranma, and damn herself to hell if she couldn't force him to take the pain to get her daughter back. She was all that mattered.

"What should we do now?" Moon asked , frustrated.

Mercury was busily typing away on her computer. Unexpectedly, he leapt with a resounding "Yatta!"

"What happened Mercury?" Venus asked.

Mercury smiled. "I just found the floor plans for Pluto's castle." She stated smugly, still more glad that she had some self worth within this group. She wasn't much for fighting so her brains and computer were what aided the Senshi. She always was glad when she could be useful.

Moon smiled. "Good job. Which way is the room holding the gates?"

Mercury looked down at the computer for a moment placed a few fingers to her chin and thought for a moment.

"It's um… heh… it's a ways away. This will take some time to get there. The Building is almost a hundred and twenty stories tall. The room of the gates of time is on the second to top floor.

The Senshis' eyes widened.

"A… A hundred and twenty?" Jupiter exclaimed in unison with Venus.

Mercury was typing busily again trying to make light of the conundrum. The medieval towers had only looked about twenty stories tall at the most.

"Oh I see." Mercury commented after a moment.

A groan emanated from where Ranma lay, alerting the room to his arousal.

"Ranma? Come on Ranma wake up!" Akane exclaimed.

Ranma rolled over, away from Akane for a moment before murmuring. "Machin-chan… lemme' alone… I'm sleepy… we'll spar in an hour or two…."

"Machin?" Akane thought, confused.

"Ranma!" She shouted angrily.

"Ack! Machi-Oh…! Akane!" Ranma screeched, rising faster than Akane could blink.

"Wha- the… what's… oh! Akane! Are you alright! Ok? She didn't, touch you did she?" Ranma instantly began examining Akane in a state of full alertness.

"I'm fine, Baka. Come on we have to go. I want to see my baby…" Akane said speedily. She stood and sprinted towards where the Senshi were conversing.

Ranma stood and bounded over next to her.

"Eeep!" Akane shouted when Ranma landed not a centimeter away from her, shoulder to shoulder.

Ranma looked down at his fiancée, confused by the frightened look in her eyes. "A-Akane? Are… are you ok?"

Akane growled a little and said into his ear, "Don't _do_ that!" Then she turned to the Senshi and asked, "Where do we need to go?"

Mercury was quick to reply.

"Come, follow me. Up these stairs." And up the stairs they went. Stair… after stair… after stair… all the while there were a few conversations occurring.

"So you see," Mercury said between ragged sighs to Moon. "This palace is… mostly underground. Only the top… forty seven stories… are above ground."

"That explains it. How far left?" Moon replied tartly.

"Forty two stories," Mercury replied.

They raced around a corner and met another stair.

"Who is… Machin Ranma?" Akane asked.

Ranma looked down. "He's.. he's just… an old friend. A very, very… old friend."

Akane looked at him, skeptically. She knew there was something more… Who was Machin? How did Ranma know him? Was it a him? It was a very peculiar name. But these questions would have to wait, thought. There were more important matters at hand.

* * *

Pluto smiled. Her arm looked perfect. Perhaps expiration dates really were just a myth. It had taken much longer than she had originally hoped but it worked nonetheless. She looked through the eyes of her castle, watching for her adversaries. Through the ancient technologies of the Silver Millennium her enemies were found easily. She smiled. All was not lost yet. Then, without warning, she heard something she hadn't heard in almost twenty thousand years. The voice that had haunted her dreams for all this time. Ever since she had first taken the position as the Senshi of Pluto and before this one thing had terrified her. And it was nothing more than a voice...

"MY NAE BLISS. I HAVE RETURNED FOR YOU." The haunting low toned voice that saturated her being with pain said. Pluto had heard this voice once before. The voice brought out a nightmare in her sleep every year or so. She'd never forgotten what it had said all those years ago.

"SOMEDAY… YOU WILL BELONG TO ME." The voice had said, back then. It had left her terrified. She hadn't felt truly alone since. It had seemed that someone was _always_ watching her. It took her years to get over her fear of the dark, and of being alone, that had developed from it.

A dark apparition flowed through her, first in her feet. It was like smoke, seeping through her clothing, touching her skin directly. The voice burned her mind with pain and ecstasy, while the smoky appearance wafted through her body, flowing upward from her feet to her head, making her shiver like she had never done before, and calling goose bumps to her skin.

"W-what are you…?" Pluto stuttered, frightened as the apparition reached her chest.

She could _feel_ the apparition smile as it finally made it above her head. She looked up, terrified, and saw a ghostly hand.

It wafted up through the ceiling and disappeared. "N-no!" Pluto exclaimed. She knew what was in that room. The gates…

"No! No, Leave the gates alone!" Pluto made a mad dash to the next floor taking the steps four at a time at least.

She stopped at the door to the room and grabbed the handle… she opened it slowly…

* * *

They were moving onward. It was fast going, as all of them were running full speed. Akane was having trouble keeping up, Ranma was sure, but she kept quiet. Her determination to find Keika was incredible, just as any mother's should be.

"Are you alright, Akane?" Ranma asked while running, glancing to the girl on his left.

The long corridors, made of stone bricks, floors, and ceilings seemed to close in on them as they ran. Each new direction Mercury would point out the way and they would begin running again.

Corridor.

Staircase.

Corridor.

Turn.

Foyer.

Ballroom.

Dining Room.

Staircase.

Corridor.

It was endless. There was no staircase that led directly to the top. Each staircase was, for the most part, found on the opposite side of each floor. Ranma wasn't certain, but he thought that they had only gone about three to five floors up, and they'd been running for twenty minutes!

"I'm… I'm fine, Ranma…" Akane wheezed.

"Alright." Ranma replied, unsure that Akane was telling the truth.

Ranma was incapable of leaving Akane. He _could not_ leave her. If he could he would blast straight to the top of the building for his revenge. But heaven nor hell would separate her from him again.

Staircase.

Corridor.

Turn.

Bathroom.

Corridor.

Staircase.

"How many floors are there!" Jupiter exclaimed.

They were slowly beginning to tire and Moon knew that if they became too tired they would be unprepared to face Pluto. All of them against Pluto alone, it had seemed like a pathetically easy match. Moon, however, knew she had underestimated the Setsuna.

"It won't happen again." Usagi muttered.

"What was that… Mom?" Chibi-usa asked.

"Nothing, Chibi." Moon replied. She sped up a little with a determined look on her face. Anger radiated her being. Setsuna would be stripped of her power, or she would die today… She should be stripped of her power based on her most recent crime alone!

Mind manipulation. Usagi didn't know how Setsuna had done it but… what if she had done it before? The Senshi pursued justice. Damn them if Pluto would prevent it… and... damn Crystal Tokyo if necessary.

Mercury, who had been running directly behind her princess, felt something, beneath her feet. It was a stone which sunk down when her foot landed on it, causing her to trip. She slammed her face into a stone tile and let out a tight yelp, while listening to the sound of the stone grinding against the other stones as it sunk further into the floor, activating what was no doubt, a trap.

"Mercury?" Moon asked, stopping quickly.

Ranma, who had been behind all the Senshi with Akane, slowed beside her.

"Hey… are you ok?" Ranma asked.

Ranma had no time to receive an answer. Beams of blue light began flying out of the end of the corridor at the Senshi, Ranma, and Akane. Each one possessed a small portion of light emission, shining against the grey walls of the hall. The lighting made the torch-lined walls appear blue and mystical and the darkened end of the hall seemed mysterious and shimmering in it's darkness. It would have been very beautiful if not for the damaging effects.

Moon dodged to the left and stood against the wall as close to it as she could get. Her daughter from the future, Usa, however, didn't get so lucky. Fortunately these beams seemed to only stun their victims. Ranma immediately took Akane with him to the floor, safe from the blue thin bars of light.

Venus and Mars, who had been running in front, just behind Moon, were hit as well, while Neptune, Saturn, and Jupiter all managed to dodge the oncoming blasts.

After what seemed like hours of fire, the beams finally subsided. Ranma looked up to see Usa, Venus, and Mars, fallen on the floor, unconscious.

Moon immediately took to the floor by Usa's side. She felt for a pulse and found it beating quite rapidly. Letting out an immense sigh of relief, she stood.

"They're fine, just unconscious, but we can't wait." Moon said. "Neptune. Stay with them and make sure they get better. And avoid those traps if you can. When they wake, try to catch up. The rest of you, come on." Moon commanded.

Ranma and Akane nodded to each other quickly, and then stood and ran right behind Moon.

The group, still stunned at their leader's newfound role in the actual act of leadership, reacted to this as best they could. Mercury scrambled to her feet, rubbing her bruised forehead from her fall earlier, and began running after her speeding princess.

The rest followed shortly thereafter, leaving the fallen behind with Neptune.

Usagi ran faster. Her anger was growing with every step. Along with memories. They seeped in slowly, and quickly. Helpful memories to aid in her defeat of Pluto. The castle's plans. Strategy. Tactics. Memories.  
…

Pluto would be removed of her position. Then, _Setsuna_ would be left to Ranma. If Ranma's punishment was her death, then death she would receive. Usagi was new to the cruel truth of her leadership position. It may be necessary, but she didn't have to like it.

* * *

Days… weeks… months. It seemed they had been doing nothing but running forever. Forty seven floors? No it was not. Hundreds to five hundreds at least could have been more accurate. Or at least seemed a more accurate number.

"Were almost to the top!" Mercury shouted. "It seems to be about five floors up!"

Without warning, a blaring alarm went off. Directly after that a gigantic slab of concrete and metal slammed down in front of them, making a new wall, blocking their path. Turning around, another one slid down from the ceiling, trapping them within the newly made twenty by eight foot room.

"Grrr," Moon growled. "Does Pluto think this will stop us?" she exclaimed to no one in particular.

So fast they were seeping into her. It seemed almost evil how quickly she was collecting and retaining information and memories from her past self. Everything seemed to be fitting into place. How to get directly to Pluto in her uppermost chambers. The traps. Everything needed to attain victory was saturating her mind.

It was perfect. Almost… too perfect. Usagi worried about her own mind being tampered with by some outside force… perhaps that shadowed hand had something to do with it? But… was it on their side? If it was the one giving her so many memories then why had it felt the need to terrify them with that frightening voice?

She placed her hand on the stone wall, that now appeared to be closing in on her, seeking with her mind she found it. A point of destruction in the stone.

She opened her eyes.

The eruption of the wall blasting in to tiny little rocks, made all present in the room jump. Even Ranma was a little agitated by, if not by the explosion, then by the shrapnel and dust that flew towards him.

Moon's Senshi stared at her, gawking, wondering how in the hell their princess had pulled _that_ one off.

"Come on! There is no time to be gawking. Let's go." She said in a very commanding tone. "Mercury. Next turn?"

"I-It's left, princess." Mercury stuttered.

"Good."

Moon ran down the corridor and her Senshi followed her.

As they ran once again, Ranma struck up another conversation with Akane. "Akane… can you tell me about… Keika?" Akane smiled, even though her breath was ragged a her voice was hoarse from all the running. It amazed her how none of the Senshi seemed to be even winded. What they lacked in ability and skill they seemed to make up for in sheer stamina.

"She's the most… beautiful baby… in the world, Ranma. Heh. Her hair is… coming in. It's…. bright red like your is." Akane replied through repeated gasps for air.

Ranma smiled. "I can't wait to see her. I can't wait for this to all be over. It's… all I've ever wanted. I've… been waiting for my revenge for so long now that I never thought about what I would do after it. I want it to be with you, Akane-chan. With you, and with her."

A small tear came to Akane's eye. It had been all she'd ever wanted. To be with Ranma. Run the dojo and perhaps raise a kid. Finally, after all this. Deception. Betrayal. False memories and kidnappings. Perhaps finally she could get the peace she was entitled to.

"Come on, Ranma. We'll have our revenge." Akane replied. "Let's get our baby back."

Akane sped up with a second wind.

"Right!" Mercury yelled.

Moon turned right and they continued onward.

Suddenly, Moon stopped.

The scream that resonated through the stone of the castle, echoing through their ears and reverberating against their eardrums, was one of pure terror. Unadulterated horror beyond imagining. Ranma was familiar with such screams. He had given them himself during his eighteen thousand year isolation. And then again when Machin was transformed into the Black Wind.

This scream, was filled with more horror than even his own had been then. It was not a hard voice to place either. It was Sailor Pluto.

They weren't sure of what it was, but they could be certain of one thing. Sailor Pluto was terrified. Something had happened to her and she was by no means in a good mood.

Another scream ripped through their hearts, curdling their blood and making them shiver. Goose bumps rose on Akane's skin as she fought of the urge to flee from the scream alone.

Moon was cold faced. "Something is wrong here. I'll bet my ice cream for the next month that it has something to do with that hand of black smoke."

Jupiter thought for a moment. Usagi had been acting odd ever since Ranma had appeared. It had been getting worse and worse as they kept going. Her voice becoming colder. Filled with malice for Pluto, replacing the happiness she usually held. This comment from Usagi calmed Jupiter a little. But not enough, due to it's seriousness. Usagi had never been so serious before.

Another scream. This one so loud that it made the torches in the hall way quiver and waver in their lighting, threatening to falter out of fire. It seemed as if the entire castle shook with the same sorrow of Sailor Pluto.

"I don't like this…" Saturn muttered warily.

"M… me n-neither…" Mercury replied, visibly shaken. Something that could make Setsuna Meiou scream like that was nothing she wanted _any_ business with.

Akane shivered herself and walked toward Ranma, who automatically wrapped his arms around her.

"Lets keep going. I want out of here as soon as possible." Moon said, still in her commanding tone. She ran off in the direction they had been traveling again but was stopped at the shout of one of her Senshi.

"Wait!" Jupiter shouted. "Usagi? What is going on with you?"

Usagi sighed in exasperation. "Must I explain _now_, Jupiter? Setsuna is terrified of something. The perfect time to strike would be now when her guard is down."

"That's what's bothering me! Your… knowledge! I understand a few upstanding changes here and there, but you've never been so… cold. So serious. How are you Usagi? You aren't the bright, happy… meatball head we all know!" Jupiter shouted at her princess.

Usagi sighed again. "I've been receiving memories from my past self. I've been getting them faster and faster as of late and now it seems like they are being crammed into my head. It's so much information… I… I'm sorry… Jupiter. I have to be serious, because this is serious. We all grow up sometime. I was just forced to a lot faster. I'm still the same Usagi. Just older. Now come on. There's still work to be done."

Ranma glanced at Akane questioningly as a fourth scream emanated around the castle. Akane shrugged, just as confused as he was. What was going on? Hmph. Apparently it wasn't too important because the leader of the Senshi was running off again, Mercury and Jupiter close behind.

They followed after quickly, running yet again.

* * *

Pluto's screaming choked away as her voice became hoarse. How? How could this have happened? Everything depended on the gates of time… She had never been without them… Never! Nothing should have been able to destroy them… They were made of the ancient _cuillendar_! So… how..? And why?

The gates lay before her, mangled and destroyed. Crushed by a multitude of power. Rubble lay about the mist covered room in which the gates resided. The former glory of the room resided no longer. It would never again hold the gates of time.

Pluto was destroyed. Defeated utterly. She sat on her knees, now sobbing into her hands. Without the gates… she was nothing… without the gates… she was…

Just…

No. There could only be one responsible for this. Ranma. It MUST have been Ranma. For who else could know? Who else had anywhere near the power, or time to harness it?

No one.

Ranma would pay. She would make sure of it as… it was all she could do. With Ranma's death, would follow her own.

Setsuna wiped her eyes, clearing them of the tears and wetness. She waited until she was certain that her eyes held no glimmer of the red of crying. She stood, solemn and determined, and walked forth to face her enemy.

She slammed through the doors to her personal quarters. Fire raged within ever fiber of her being. All her thousands of years of effort. All her time spent seeking the ever illusive Crystal Tokyo of her dreams. All destroyed in one fell swoop.

She would kill him. Kill them all! No… she would do worse then kill them. Balefire would rip their very existence from the pages of time. They would be destroyed forever… she no longer held her quest for Crystal Tokyo. Now, all she wanted, was vengeance. She blasted the doors from their hinges and walked down the flight of stairs. They would _all_ die.

She forgot Keika.

* * *

Treading the corridors had become far more dangerous. The Senshi had encountered a few more traps, such as flamethrowers, a few more volleys of blue light beams, and another closed wall.

Moon had handled almost every one of these by herself, disabling the traps as quickly as possible, surprising her Senshi even more.

They had made it to the third floor from the top. Now the torches were no longer lit. It was dark and cold, and damp, and the gloomy stone walls weighed heavily upon them all, covering them in a gloomy sense of dread. The screams that had been echoing earlier were still fresh on their memory.

Ranma was accustomed to this. Darkness had been his home. Gloom had been his life for longer than he could possibly remember. He held no fear, and if possible he was more comfortable now than he had been outside the castle.

Moon was running full speed when they heard it. The sound of the attack most of the Senshi had been dreading when they first came here.

"Dead Scream."

The cold, cynical way the spell was cast did not go unnoticed. Moon dodged to the right of the blast leaving it to fly back behind her and slam into one Ranma Saotome.

Ranma grunted as he was thrown back. He did not lose his footing, however, he was slightly burned on his front side.

Pluto stood clad in her Senshi garments. Her black fuku flayed wildly about as she walked down the steps leading to the next level. She held the key to the gates of time menacingly with both hands. Her eyes were burning with hatred and anger of thousands of years of repressed emotion breaking forth.

"Pluto! Setsuna! What have you done?" Moon exclaimed. "Why have you caused all of this misery?"

Moon now stood along the left side of the narrow corridor, holding the wall. She was standing straight and erect, anger enhancing all of her features. "Why-?"

Setsuna strode forward in one great bound and landed right beside Sailor Moon. She grabbed Usagi's arm with her free right one while holding the staff in the left. Moving faster than Usagi could hope to compete with, Setsuna bent and broke her arm instantly, snapping the bones and bending her biceps in a way that should not have even been possible.

Usagi screamed as she fell to the floor writhing over her arm. She grabbed her right arm, with her still useable left, but Pluto was not done. She took the time key in both hands and brought it down against sailor Moon's exposed left arm and broke the opposite arm viciously.

The scream Usagi released could be compared only to her previous one.

Pluto bent down and spoke to the twitching and writhing Usagi. "I have no words for you." she said coldly. "My fate is to kill him." Not once did Pluto's eyes look at Moon. The whole time, they stared at Ranma.

Usagi winced at her words. She hissed in anger at Pluto and said. "You can't… rrr… win, Setsuna, Meiou."

Setsuna smiled garishly and spared Usagi a glance. "There is no winning for me... Only death."

The other Senshi stared in shock at the scene before them. Pluto was attacking the princess. Scratch that. Pluto had attacked and defeated the princess.

Akane was faster on the pick up. "Where's my daughter you sadistic monster?" She screamed as she flew forward towards the green haired girl. Ranma, still stunned from the Dead Scream, finally managed to comprehend the situation. "Akane! No stop!"

Pluto ducked under Akane's punch and brought her back leg up, catching the frenzied girl with a kick to her abdomen. Akane's eyes bulged and she was sent flying from Pluto, landing a few feet away, on her back on the cold, stone floor.

She wobbled slowly to a sitting position, staring at the woman walking towards her.

"You… You were a part of it too. If it weren't for that damn baby of yours, none of this would have happened… My memory block would have worked perfectly, and you would never have been able to question."

Akane smiled and replied tartly through a wince at the pain in her back, "Heh… guess you're not too tough… can't even… ahh… take out a little baby."

Pluto's grin turned sadistic. "Your baby will be the last to die."

Akane's face turned white. "Where is she?" she demanded, her voice as cold as her chilled blood.

Pluto did not answer, because at that moment, the rest of the Senshi finally collected their wits. While mercury knelt by Usagi, trying to calm her, Jupiter and Saturn stood firmly and loosed their attacks.

"Silence Glaive, Surprise"  
"Jupiter Oak Revolution!"

Pluto dodged Sailor Saturn's attack with ease, but was unable to match the speed delivered by Jupiter's green baubles of power. They blasted her repeatedly, slamming into her and exploding on contact, throwing her across the room. She landed on the staircase to the next floor, four steps up.

Suddenly, the blast Pluto had feared sliced through her.

She didn't even feel it. It wasn't painful. It was just… saddening. Her life flashed by her. She looked down, and saw it happen again. The blue beam of pure, confident ki that ripped through her heart.

It was over.

She was finished… how weak. How pathetic! Twenty thousand years and _this_ was what she had to show for it? Instant death? She was better than that… she should have been better then that.

But… she wasn't…

Her eyes widened as she looked down. There he stood. Ranma Saotome. The slayer of gods, and the only person she knew that was near her own age. His hand was outstretched, having just loosed his killing beam. Here it would end.

"Come on, Akane. Let's find Keika." Ranma said as he offered his hand to the fallen girl.  
Akane nodded quickly and took his hand. She stood but faltered. Held for a moment by Ranma alone, she was then picked up and cradled in his arms.

Akane growled a little, but didn't complain. There was still a more important matter than her pride at the moment. Ranma ran up the stairs and flew forward as fast as he could. He had a daughter to meet.

Hotaru knelt down beside Usagi.

"Are you alright, Usagi?" She asked concernedly as she placed her hands on Moon. Her magic flowed through into Usagi, healing her partially. Hotaru could only do so much. Her healing re-aligned Usagi's arm. Usagi had finally stopped writhing. Her arms were in place, mostly. Her right arm looked to still be twisted, and Hotaru looked much the worse for wear. "Thank you, Saturn." Usagi said calmly, as her Senshi helped her to her feet. "Alright."

Usagi stared at Pluto. She was not dead yet. She simply lay, broken. What kept her alive, Usagi couldn't' tell. Where her heart should be was a hole and blood splattering everywhere.

"Hmm… it's time. I won't kill her, but she isn't worthy of Pluto's mantle." She sighed.

She stumbled over to the woman, leaving her Senshi standing where she had been earlier. In a few moments she hovered over the half-conscious Pluto, and placed her hand to her forehead.

"I Queen Serenity, do hereby and forthwith, withdraw your status as Senshi of the Planet Pluto. May the power you once possessed go to hands better suited than your own. May your soul not be damned through your death." Usagi said, somberly.

Similar to her removal of Uranus, a small light, colored black as the fuku that Setsuna no longer wore, withdrew from the green-haired woman and was held for a moment in Usagi's hands.

"Find one suited for this position. May she be better than Setsuna." Usagi said to the light. It zipped off in search, seeking one worthy of it's power, intending to bless them with the power of Pluto.

Usagi returned her gaze to Setsuna. If anything she looked even worse than before. Her clothing was a simple sweater and long pants, having replaced the fuku she had been wearing. The left chest area was already stained with her blood. She looked away quickly. The stench of drying blood had begun to fill the small corridor.

"Come on. We'll find Ranma and Akane. I want to see this baby." Usagi said, her eyes lighting up with life.

Usagi's mood had brightened considerably in light of another completed battle. She just hoped she had made all the right choices.

She picked up the time key that lay in Pluto's hands. It slipped out of them easily, and Setsuna did not make the smallest effort to hold onto the key-like staff. "Come on." Usagi said again. With that, she and the Senshi continued upstairs after Ranma and Akane, following as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Keika!" Akane shouted as she grabbed the tiny babe from the cage she had been held within and held her close to her chest in the most loving way she possibly could. "Keika, oh my little Keika. I'm so glad… so…" Tears came to Akane's eyes threatening to overflow. The woman did managed to refrain from outright bawling in front of her fiancée, however, at least two tears found their way onto the tiny shirt Keika wore.

Ranma, who had just set Akane down beside the tiny child, looked on at the small creature in his fiancée's arms, apprehensively. Akane almost completely ignored him at the moment, though based on all his viewings of mothers during his years, he had perfect understanding as to why. A mother's connection to their daughter was priceless. At least in his eyes. Ranma finally had his revenge. He honestly did not want to see his daughter at the moment. He would prefer to go to the dying Pluto to finish the end of Pluto's demise. It was while he was thinking this that Akane turned to face him.

"Ranma…" Akane said nervously. "This is… your daughter, Keika"  
The little girl in Akane's arms was adorable. That itself was enhanced by knowing that it was his own. He had seen many children, and wanted one of his own once. During his incarceration, he had wanted everything to do with people, so it hadn't been quite as important as it was now, though.

But to actually _have_ one of his own… after all this time…

He bit his lip, and gulped audibly as Akane offered him the small child. "You gotta hold her head, Ranma." Akane said as she handed the girl to him.

"I… I know." Ranma said. He accepted the small bundle cautiously, holding her in the same way that he had seen people in the mirror do hundreds of times before. Now doing it himself for the first time, he felt a wave of emotion. Elated and joyous emotion.

That in itself was nothing next to the moment he looked into his daughter's eyes. In that one small moment of clarity, a new goal in his life sprang up. To be the best father a man could be. He vaguely remembered his own father. For the most part he remembered an honorable man… but Ranma knew he could be better. _Far_ better.

"Geyha ha!" The little girl laughed, happily. She smiled at him in that delirious, innocent way only small children can. "Hey!" Ranma heard the voice from behind him. He tensed momentarily but turned around quickly and saw Sailor Moon with her three currently remaining Senshi, that is Saturn, Mercury, and Jupiter.

Moon arrived beside Ranma and Akane, but could think of nothing to say. She looked at the small child happily.

There was an awkward moment of silence. Ranma never took his eyes of Keika, but Akane looked over the Senshi sternly. After a moment she sighed.

"Thank you, Sailor Moon. Perhaps you guys aren't as bad as I thought." Akane said in the happiest tone the Moon had ever seen her in, which really wasn't saying much. Usagi had only seen Akane angry or determined. To normal people, this would have been… content.

"Course' not! I was just hoping you'd forgive us!" Usagi said, in a lighter tone which Ranma had seen on the girl only in his book. Actually, it wasn't nearly as light as that had been. Usagi _still_ seemed quite wary.

"Well you seem awfully cheerful." Akane said with a scowl, almost annoyed.

Usagi winked at her jokingly and said, "I always am when I'm done saving the world. Or something similar."

Akane chuckled a little. "Heh, I don't think you two are so bad yourself. I'd really like to learn how you did that beam thing Ranma." Usagi said. Ranma glanced up from Keika to look at the blonde girl, who had previously been entirely serious, but now seemed to be somewhat of an egghead. "No… no I don't think you would like to learn that beam… to condense that much energy into such a small beam took me three hundred years." He said plainly. "But… I'm glad I did."

Usagi's face contorted for a moment, confused by his odd comment. Then she shrugged and let it go. While she thought about it, her musings were interrupted by the approach of her Senshi.

"She's adorable!" Saturn exclaimed, looking at the small child. "C-can I hold her..?"

"No. Sorry… but… I… I'm not able to pass her around so easy at the moment… Heh, I don't even think I'd let daddy touch her now that I have her back." Akane said, taking her from Ranma swiftly.

"Eh, I understand. Heh, sorry." Saturn replied, nervously.

"Don't worry about it… maybe on a better day." Akane said. "So… what will you do now?"

Usagi was glad for this feeling that had overcome her. Now that the danger was past it seemed difficult for her to not slip back into her childish ways. But she knew she wasn't safe yet."… Lets worry about getting out of here before that… But… when we get out of here… I want some ice cream and some sleep." Usagi said, still keeping a watchful eye on the walls. "I second that." Jupiter said.

"Here, here." Mercury cheered.

"Wait." Ranma said, not taking his lovelorn eyes from Keika. "What did you do with Pluto?"

Moon turned somber again in her tone. She sighed before replying, "We left her on the stairs. I took her powers from her and her key to the Gates of Time. She'll never touch them again… but I can't k-kill her. If you want her dead… well that's up to you to finish. She's yours as far as I'm concerned."

"Then…" Ranma sighed as if he were losing the firmness held in his resolve earlier. "She's gotta die."

Akane nodded.

"Moon?" Ami questioned. She had been standing off to the side, pondering about many things and finally decided to ask one.

"Yeah, Mercury?" Usagi replied patiently.

"What happened to make Setsuna scream earlier? Do you have any idea?" Ami asked curiously. It had been on her mind ever since it had first begun. If something could make Setsuna scream like that then… perhaps even Setsuna was being manipulated. _"There is no winning for me… only death."_ had been her somber words from before. Was she being controlled, perhaps? Perhaps they meant something more?

"Yeah, and one more thing, meatball-head. What about the other Senshi? Where are they?" Jupiter asked impatiently.

"They're on their way by now I'm sure. Those stun beams didn't look like they hurt any of them too terribly much." Usagi said plainly.

A cold chill crawled up Ranma's spine.

"Something is wrong." He said warily.

Akane looked at him, questioningly. "Ranma?" She asked, wondering what was bothering him.

Ranma's danger sense had not been used in quite some time. The last time he could remember it being used unconsciously was when a trolloc had attacked him at Tarwin's Gap. Now it was raging letting off signals of danger in the foreseeable future.

"Something's wrong. I don't think Pluto is dead." He said.

With those words came a scream. And it was one that turned Usagi's blood to pure ice. Frozen into her spot with anger and fear for what could have just happened, Usagi stood, petrified as Hotaru uttered one word.

"Usa-chan!"

* * *

"I-I've failed. everything… so wrong… I…." The rampant mind of Setsuna thought sadly. Tears flowed from Setsuna's amber eyes, wetting the sides of her cheeks. She touched the hole where her heart should have been and felt blood. Sense fled her. Dread filled her. Darkness consumed her. Her eyes threatened to close.

"NO."

It was a chilling voice. The same voice Akane and the Senshi had heard earlier when the hand of dark smoke had appeared. The voice that filled Pluto's dreams with dread.

"NO." It repeated. The sound burned her eardrums, scarring them, not with pain, but with ecstasy beyond imagining.

The dark hand materialized out of thin air and clamped itself to the visage of Sailor Pluto. Enshrouding her in Shadow.

The shadows melded with the body of Pluto. They flowed within her, coursing through her veins, healing her and reviving her. "What… is this…?" She thought.

Pluto felt it. Feeling itself flowed back into her abused veins first. And the first thing she felt was sickening. A heart beat entered her ears and she realized that it was her own. A sloshing sound. Blood erupted form the hole in her chest, spurted from her reforming heart. She felt it circulate around her body, restoring her temporarily dead cells. Respiration returned. More blood, this time in her throat, dribbling over the sides of her mouth. Another heartbeat.

More blood. Some dribbled down her chest, melding with the material of her shirt, while more rose in her esophagus. She coughed and spluttered. Her voice returned and her vision faded in. She spit the revolting taste out of her mouth. Heartbeat, though this time, no blood leaked onto her shirt.

"What _is this_? Setsuna repeated, now more revived. Her sense returning, she felt disgusted. She tore off the shirt, only to find that there was no hole… Blood covered her entire chest, but there was no trace of the death-bringing slice in her body.

She received no answer to her question. At least, none in the form of words. Her access to the female half of the one power boosted to an untold level of power. And she felt something else. Something… greater. "MY NAE BLIS…" The words resounded in her ears but no longer held the pain. Pure, unadulterated, pleasure burned through her at the words. It was as if her entire body had become encased in the greatest of massages, leaving nothing but wave after wave of this great feeling. Who was this? What did he want? Most importantly, why was she still alive?

"W-who are you?" Pluto asked through the pleasure that was only now subsiding.

"THE GREAT LORD." The voice said.

Pluto looked around warily. She stood, wobbly and unsteadily. "I've seen many _great lords_ before. None could raise the near-dead to such a pristine state… Where are you? Show yourself!"

"WE WILL MEET AGAIN SOON, MY NAE BLISS."

Pluto screamed at the agonizing ecstasy of the voice exploding in her ears.

"W-wait! Who are you!" Pluto demanded to the air around her again.

No answer.

"Damn!" Pluto cursed. She looked at her clothing and found that she still wore her simple sweater and pants. She was no longer the Senshi of Time. She probably never would be again either.

But…

Something was off. She felt… stronger. Faster and more powerful than she had ever been. And something behind her lay resting… Something similar to Saidar. What was it? What… was it?  
She reached forth with her mind to grab the unknown and was blasted by the effects. It was burning! Pain beyond pain and fire beyond comprehension! Felicity to the point of pure, jovial intoxication. The pain of this… True Power flooded the cells of her veins, enshrouding them in hellfire and enforcing them with power the likes of which she had never felt before.

"This is… amazing!" Pluto said. With her mind, she felt a cord. It stretched long and far from her. Far beyond here and far beyond now. What it connected to, she did not know. But it was strong. Strong enough.. To give her revenge. Ranma Saotome and Usagi Tsukino, would still die this day.

"Come on! We gotta catch up!" A voice called. Pluto recognized it instantly. Chibi-Usa. The little girl from the future. She still lived? Odd. But not impossible. Without Pluto or the gates of time, any possibility could occur. How the pink-haired brat had survived was unknown to Pluto but… not completely impossible.

She came into Pluto's sight prompting Pluto to break for the darkened areas to gain the element of surprise, hiding in the darkened areas of the corridor, behind the stone steps.

They were running, quite obviously. Chibi-Usa was in the lead. She wasn't nearly as smart as her mother, obviously; at least not anymore. She was only eight years old. She had no care… no alertness like her mother had as she charged through the halls.

…And Pluto would not show mercy.

Chibi-Usa ran for the stairs completely missing all sight of Pluto. As she ran up the stairs, Pluto rose and grabbed the tiny girl's arm. Before Usa could even figure out what happened, she was hurled around by Setsuna, and flung into the following Sailor Mars.

She screeched as her left arm was dislocated during the throw, causing a high pitched echo to shatter the silence of the castle.

"Damn." Pluto muttered, knowing that this would bring Ranma. The one who could beat her. It had been proven. But this new power…

"Pluto!" Neptune exclaimed.  
"It's Setsuna." Pluto replied maliciously. Working by instinct, she took the great power burning within her and melded it with the force of air and earth. Small pieces of stone flowed to her hand and burst into flame before the Senshi's eyes.

"W-what… Plu…Pluto!" Mars said

The only reply Setsuna provided was… "I said… it's Setsuna." Then, with that, the fireball was flung from her hand like a baseball. Fortunately, Neptune thought quickly. "Submarine Reflection!" Holding her mirror, Neptune blasted a water-based energy blast from it at Setsuna's fireball and dissipated it.

"So it's true." Neptune said confidently. "You have become evil. Or have you always been evil, Setsuna?"

"Hmph. As if you'd understand, child." Setsuna said harshly. Confidently, she drew in more of this great power which infused her with life and energy. She could _feel_ the presence of that voice within this power. That voice that had frightened her so long ago. That voice was the source. The great lord, he had called himself. It was true. Power, similar to Saidar, yet unimaginably stronger. She used air and water to conjure her favorite type of attack. Lightning.

"Kidnapping a child that small? Who knew you could sink so low." Neptune said, stepping in front of Usa and Mars.

Mars stooped beside Usa. She lay on the ground, her teeth gnawing on her lips as she barely held back screams from the pain of her arm's dislocation.

"It's time to end this little debate. You should have followed me. Instead… you chose to die." Setsuna said. A smile crossed her lips.

Lightning blasted through the roof, ripping away the castle ceiling, exposing the blackened, starlit sky. The masonry crashed down towards the stone floor clanging on the bottom of the old palace corridor. One crushed Mars's arm causing her to let out a yelp. She yanked her arm out from its place between the rock and the stone floor and looked up to stare in shock at the sight before her.

Neptune was only struck for a moment by the bolt, but that was more than enough. Volts of electricity flashed through her body and destroyed her. She did not get the chance to scream. Her death came far too quickly. She careened away, slamming into the far wall, and then dropping to the floor in a lifeless heap.

"Neptune!… _Neptune_!" Venus screamed.

Venus turned and ran to the fallen body of Neptune, and fell around her, hugging the lifeless form.. Mars, or Rei, stared back at Neptune's body. Her clothes had faded and now where once had been a Senshi, now lay Michiru Kaioh. The great violinist.

Rei turned back to Pluto. Preparing to fight herself, leaving Usa, and standing, she did not expect the fireball that blasted her way. She dodged to the right, barely and turned to see another rocketing towards her.

"Duck Mars!" Usa shouted.

Mars dodged again.

Her attack took a mere moment. She fired it as fast as she could.__

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The speeding flame bullet slammed Setsuna in the abdomen, but, unfortunately, the blast dissipated, only having caused minor damage to Setsuna, similar to a punch in the gut.

"What the hell?" Mars cried, perplexed. "That should've ripped a hole in you!"

Setsuna was a bit confused herself though her face didn't show it. That should have ripped a hole in her. But it didn't. This power she had received had fortified her. Her strength was incredible. If it was enough to stand up to the attack of Mars unscathed… maybe… just maybe, Ranma truly would fall today.

Setsuna smiled the first genuine smile of happiness in months. True, it was more of a twisted happiness, but it was happiness nonetheless. She gathered the lightning again. It flowed through the sky and she felt it ready to blast down upon her victims.

_"Venus Love Me Chain, Encircle!"_

Venus cried the attack words from her position at Michiru's side hastily.

"Pluto summoned the energy for the lightning bolts, that had proven themselves a surefire way to kill. Ignoring the chain that encircled her, she readied them and took aim. Soon, the chain wouldn't be a problem. With it's caster dead, there would be no chain."

Mars was angry. Neptune was dead. _Dead_! Murdered in cold blood by that heartless… vile…

"Mars"  
The words flared inside her. The rose from her throat and the sheer thrill of the new attack forming on her tongue enveloped her.

_"Celestial Supernova!"_

She spun creating a swirl of red lights. Above her, a red sphere of crimson of light winked into existence. flashing with blazing yellows and oranges streaking up and down the tiny sun. The spell, beginning with the low thrum of a crackling fire, slowly began a crescendo, increasing in it's tempo and volume, as the ball expanded. The crackling of the flames became all that Mars could hear as the crimson star grew to monstrous proportions, searing off more of Pluto's already broken walls.

Stretching out her arms, Mars raised herself into the air with the forces of her planetary magic, placing the burning bomb between herself and Pluto.

Pluto watched in amazement as the inferno of heat was sent in line with her. She had never seen such an attack from Mars, even in the past. She could feel the flares from the burning ball grabbing her skin, making her break out in a horrid sweat as the room temperature rose.

It blasted forward from mars without warning, slamming into her. It imploded, causing a blinding white light and a reverberating, thunderous roar. The light lasted forever it seemed.

When it finally subsided, Mars floated in mid air, holding a red dome-like barrier against the explosion, shielding them from the mini nuke she had just loosed on Pluto.

The floor was ripped away as was much of the ceiling. The stairs no longer existed and the night sky was lit with an ever present starlight.

Setsuna stood back across the gap between the floors, holding her arms crossed about her stomach and smirking. "Nice try. Mars. Now take mine." She said calmly.

Mars was lucky. The lighting bolt that came down, was halted by the shield she held up, unconsciously. Venus was not. Another hole was ripped in the now horribly ruined ceiling of Pluto's Castle. Venus didn't have the time to scream either. Her body was burned to a crisp and her eyes closed before she felt a thing.

"Noo!" Usa screamed. She stood and made her way, tripping and stumbling slowly to the crumpled form of Venus, or now Minako, who lay next to Michiru.

"No! You can't do this, damn it!" Mars exclaimed. "How many times are we going to die? How many times do the Senshi have to die to attain peace! Damn you Setsuna!" Mars screamed.

"Save your whining." Setsuna replied haughtily.

To Pluto's astonishment, at the top of the next floor, looking down into the exposed floor below stood Usagi. "Damn. I knew I should've watched you!" Jolting her head towards the young princess, Setsuna mocked, "Bad move, _princess_… You're nothing next to Serenity. And you never will be."

Usagi boiled. She looked over and noticed the dead forms of two of her Senshi. Her white wings rustled and she lifted herself into the air with them.

"Damn you…" She muttered. Inwardly, Usagi was very relieved when she arrived and saw Usa. But Setsuna again stood, fighting and two of her Senshi lay dead. Again she was left with dead friends to save. Perhaps this would be the last time she was forced to try to bring her friends to life.

Another lightning blast busted the roof flying to destroy Usagi. It was stopped however by a barrier that became visible as the lightning struck it and disappeared. "You won't beat me, Setsuna! Not this time!" She exclaimed angrily.

"Spare me." Setsuna replied. She jumped over the divide towards Eternal Sailor Moon and made a grab for Usagi's arm, intending to break it again. She was surprised at Moons quick dodge backwards.

"You run now?" Setsuna exclaimed.

Usagi smirked and replied in her own haughty tone. "I prefer to call it strategy. Let'er rip, Ranma!" Usagi called.

Pluto saw it again. Ranma stood there, in his left hand was the baby Keika. His right hand was held outstretched, sending the beam straight for her. Too late. Too late! The blast moved towards her flying just like it had before. A straight beam of blue light, headed right for her heart.

Pluto didn't know how she did it. The power was there, just at her fingertips in an instant. She drew it and melded herself with it even more than she already had, bathing in the embrace of the power.

A great wall of black smoke sprung up in front of her and deflected the blast into and through another wall and out into the depths of space.

She smirked. She _would_ win. And these children would die. Then she would regain her position as the Senshi of Time.

_"Silence Glaive Surprise!"_

Hotaru loosed the great blast of energy from her staff. This, unlike Ranma's compressed ki beam, was powerful enough to dissipate Setsuna's shield.

"Brat." The green haired lady exclaimed. A fireball collected in her hands and she hurled it straight at Hotaru. It smacked her in the side of the head, knocking her down into the dim world of unconsciousness. Her staff flung away from her, to the other side of the corridor they now resided in.

Ranma advanced lunging forward. Pluto didn't see his fist before it slammed into her face, sending her flying into the wall. All the while, in his left arm, lay the tiny baby, whose head was held also, by his left hand.

What surprised Pluto as she brought herself off the ground, was how little that punch had truly hurt. How much was this power reinforcing her? How much?

She ran towards him, and attacked fists flying and feet kicking him.

Ranma dodged rampantly, finding it difficult to avoid her punches and protect the baby at the same time.

Pluto realized Ranma's protection of the baby and suddenly, made an incredibly fast jab for his left arm.

Ranma moved the baby frantically. He ducked under her fist, turning away from the punch, leaving his arm, and the baby, close to the stone floor. This left Ranma wide open for her next attack. He found no way to dodge the incredibly fast fist screeching towards his face.

"Ranma!" Akane cried as she finally caught up to Ranma, who had been running far ahead. The other two Senshi, Mercury and Jupiter, were in tow, behind her. Then she noticed the small, fortunately alright but crying babe in Ranma's arms.

"KEIKA!" She screamed.

She rushed towards Ranma and took the baby, checking it over quickly. She seemed fine. Not a hair on her was harmed but she was probably massively dizzy. Far too dizzy for a baby. Ranma looked at Akane. He was a little woozy but not too harmed. It was incredible though. No punch should be able to hurt him that much! No punch! How in the hell had she done that? He was quite certain that Pluto had _not_ practiced Martial Arts during her twenty thousand years so where the hell had she gotten that kind of strength?  
"Here Ranma. Take care of her for a moment. I know you can." Akane whispered.

Ranma watched her stand, frozen in his spot, blood dribbling from his nose.

Akane exclaimed as she charged forward, an anger filled war cry expelling from her tired lungs. "It's over, Setsuna!" Mars shouted finally recovering from her tiresome last attack.

_"Mars Flame Sniper!"_

Her jet of red flame burst forth from her pointed fingers. Her new nova spell was completely useless in these conditions. It was too dangerous to everyone else.

Moon also stood readying an attack to fling at their enemy.

_"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"_

The light in her hands erupted above her sending beams of still more yellow light slicing towards the ex-Senshi of Pluto.

In a moment of odd, and sorely out of place humor, it came to Ranma's mind that… that was the most corny attack name he had ever heard in all his life. He looked up and saw his future bride rushing to meet his enemy.

Setsuna smiled, now fully confident in her newfound power. Another wall of shadowy might arose and defended her from the attacks flung at her, Akane herself included.

"Another down." Setsuna said tartly.

Yet another bolt, blasting apart another piece of the ceiling rained down from the skies.

This one… was aimed at Akane.

Ranma saw it coming. There was no way he could have done anything. "AKANE!"

"Huh?" She muttered turning around.

The lightning caressed her. For a moment she lit up in an electrified frenzy. Then the explosion. She flew across the room and into the wall, slamming to the ground… dead.

"Noooo!" Ranma bellowed. Pluto's eyes locked on him preparing for the greatest attack. But he didn't target her. He took Keika and ran towards Akane's broken body.

He reached it.

She wore no clothing. All of it had been burned off. Her eyes were wide open as was her mouth. Her hair was frazzled and all her joints were flexed tight. She seemed normal, just shocked.

He knelt down to her and felt her. He was shocked by touching her. He felt her face.

"A-Aka-Akane? Akane-chan? Ak-Akane-chan? Wake up! Wake up tomboy! Wake up… My love… Please wake up!" He begged the corpse.

It didn't move… It didn't stir.

"No… no…" He muttered. Tears fell from his eyes. Small at first and then flooding throughout his vision, clogging it with nothing but watery images of his love.

"No please… no! I just… I just found you! It can't… this can't happen… I love you…" Ranma's cries did nothing. Shaking her lifeless form did nothing. The battle raged on behind him. An explosion here. A scream there. It didn't matter to Ranma. He hugged the babe close to him. It burped, unaware of it's mother's… passing.

"Please my tomboy! Wake up! I can't live without you here! Wake up! _Wake up_!" He shouted.

It was to no avail.

Keika began to cry at his yells. It had been a wonder that she wasn't crying already what with the explosions in the background. Without warning, a shout from behind him wafted across his eardrum. He ignored it like the others but this one had significance. Water washed over him, changing his form to a female. She hardly noticed the transformation.

Ranma looked away. She was unable… incapable of bearing the thought of staring at her lifeless body for one more minute.

"Ra…n…ma…" She heard.

Her eyes snapped open. She looked at Akane. Her eyes were not open. Her hands did not move. Her lips did.

"Akane?" She exclaimed, trying to coax the Raven-haired girl back to life.

"T-take… care… of… Ke… Keika." Akane whispered.

"Akane… don't talk like that! Yo-you'll be fine! You'll see! You'll be better in no time! Come on… come…" Ranma said, shaking the girl. Pulse… None.

Respiration… Zero.

Life… Extinguished.

Ranma bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry but failing miserably. Why? Why should she be the one with so much pain? And, in her distress, her conclusion reached, she turned. It was time to end this, once and for all.

"_Pluto_!" she screamed.

Setsuna turned and faced her. The other Senshi seemed to all be down. Saturn sat in the corner of the room holding her Silence Wall erect, having just been saved from another barrage of fireballs by Ranma's scream.

Moon lay on the ground, her leg bent in a way that shouldn't have been possible. She appeared to be much better off then she had been last time though as far as dealing with the pain went. She was wincing, not yelling or writhing as before.

Jupiter and Mercury seemed to be in similar positions, though Jupiter seemed to be moving, slowly, to a standing position.  
Usa was no where to be found. Last Ranma had seen her she had been a floor below, where the ground had been blasted out, near Neptune and Venus's dead bodies.

Mars lay unconscious next to the wall… or dead. Ranma didn't know, and at the moment… couldn't bring himself to care.

"Ha ha." Setsuna chuckled. "So.. Now it's just you… and me.. Who would have thought? Ha ha!"

"I would've sent you to hell last time I fought you, had I known it would end like this." Ranma said coldly. For the first time since he had received it he withdrew the blade attached to his back. "The Lady of the Flame's was my title. My "Flare Dancer" will destroy you"  
Ranma blazed forth. She knew how to use a sword. She'd done so before and seen it done so, so many times.

As the millisecond passed she got closer… closer… five steps, two one…

* * *

Usagi lay on the ground crumpled. Broken and defeated. Her wings had been ripped out and her body had been mangled, more by Pluto's fists than anything. But she remained conscious. She had one trick left. It wasn't a trick. It was a memory. It was the truth. A perfect punishment.

Knowledge was the key. Another key which she had at the moment, was also the key.

They could not defeat Setsuna now. That much was obvious. All of them were down and Pluto was standing firm facing… someone. She couldn't see. Her neck couldn't bend that way at the moment. Her only target, was Pluto.

Pluto had two ways to send people to other dimension's. One was to open portals with her own magic.

The other… was to use the key of time and blast a person into one of the pocket dimensions. Thanks to her newfound memories, Usagi knew how to do this… she knew perfectly how to do it.

Moon lifted the time key. From her position on the ground Setsuna didn't notice her move. Her attention was focused on something.

_"Time Dissever Continuum!"_ She said holding the staff.

One final beam of light flashed forward. It was a wide beam of darkened harsh light, but it caught Pluto entirely unawares. Suddenly a girl holding a sword jumped into the beam with Pluto.

And both of them were gone.

Sailor Eternal Moon fainted, and again became Usagi Tsukino.

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

**

* * *

**

**Epilogue**

* * *

"No! No No! I want out! Let me out! No! I can't take it again! I can't do it! No! Please no! no! Let me out!" Ranma screamed.

No one heard her. No one even knew she existed.

The world of darkness she resided in was her home again.

She pulled out the embers that had lit her way in the ways, and the Book, that had kept her alive for so long. Light shone about the darkened room from the book and the magically enhanced coals.

Keika lay in her arms, crying, most likely due to Ranma's yelling at the darkness.

Setsuna was gone. Where she was, Ranma didn't know. But Setsuna was gone. That, for now, was all that mattered. Ranma would carry out Akane's last wish. Ranma would be the best father in the world…

If only she could remember how she had escaped this place… two thousand years ago…

Ranma broke down into uncaring sobs. Hugging the little girl, thinking again of her beloved's death.

* * *

Setsuna was alone. It was dark and she was cold. She had been here for a long time. Was she dead? No… she wouldn't feel hungry and thirsty if she were dead. Or wait… what if hell's torture was that one kept their hunger and thirst but never died of it?

No… surely not.  
But if so… then where was she? Darkness. Something had hit her. A beam of some sort had warped her to this black world of nothing. It was almost like.

"The key!" Setsuna exclaimed. Finally she had realized what had happened.

"Moon used the key! She sent me to a pocket dimension! That… that little… damn… smart. She is her mother's daughter. She received the memories of how to do it… and she did it. And now I'll die of starvation… without my powers, I can't go without food…

…

"I commend you, Eternal Sailor Moon." Setsuna said to herself. "You are more cunning than your appearance makes you seem."

Hours passed. Days maybe? No… humans can't go days without water.  
Her lips were dry. Her skin was parched.

And then she heard it. The one thing she had been depending on.

"MY NAE BLIS… I HAVE COME FOR YOU."

Setsuna laughed in ecstasy. A savior. She didn't care who it was. If it had been the devil himself offering her escape she would have taken it.

Oddly enough…

* * *

"Come on Keika! I don't know what to do for you here! Ahh… what do I do?" Ranma exclaimed to the crying child.

Keika had been withering. No food. Ranma's pack was empty. Keika had eaten whatever small bits and pieces of food that had been in it already. The poor girl was starving! Ranma had to escape. Something had to happen!

What could it be? What could he do! Damn.  
"Damn, damn, _damn_!" Ranma thought desperately. "Oh, Keika.. I can't lose you too. I can't lose my little girl too!"

A short time later Keika had stopped crying. By then, Ranma had given up all hope. She prayed now to Kami for a miracle. To the creator to bring down the light and illumine her. She prayed to every deity she could think of.

And her prayers, for the first time in thousands of years, were answered.

A black globule of light, barely visible amongst the darkness, popped into existence.

"What the?" Ranma asked no one in particular as he noticed it.

It floated around momentarily but then it stopped, hovering right over Keika.

There was an audible pop in which the light blinked out. A black pen, with small black wings on it and a black marble at the top, fell out as the light popped and landed on Ranma's little daughter's stomach.

The pen disappeared, through being absorbed into the young girl's skin, and Ranma witnessed her own daughter transform. She now wore a very tiny black Senshi fuku. She wore white gloves and boots coming up to her elbows and knees. On her chest was a white skin-tight suit with the same black bow and red heart that Sailor Pluto wore. On her head was a golden tiara and around her neck was a black choker.

Suddenly the clothes disappeared, and again the baby wore her original clothing, which consisted of a pink T-Shirt and simple tiny jeans.

And with that… Keika awoke and giggled.

Ranma heaved the greatest sigh of relief. She didn't have a clue what had happened. But she thanked every single one of the deities she had prayed to at least five times.

Her daughter lived, and was as immortal as he seemed to be. It seemed that, even with the removal of Setsuna's status as Senshi, her powers and doings still lingered. Now it seemed his daughter possessed them. The powers to get them out of here some day.

One day… they would escape. One day, they would be free. And on that day, he would show his daughter life. Show her life… as Ranma herself had never known it.

Ranma smiled. There was a difference between this time in the darkness and last time.

This time... she was not alone...

* * *

**The End**

* * *

My final chapter of So Be It. Did you enjoy? I'd like to offer special thanks and Acknowledgements to all who helped me create this fic. 

First things first. I'd Like to thank Rimuko Takahashi for making Ranma ½. Robert Jordan deserves all the credit for the Wheel of Time. And Naoko Takeuchi for writing the Manga of Sailor Moon.

Secondly. The fics and Stories that Inspired this.

Aftermath: A Story of Blended Cliché's by: Trimatter.

This was the either best or second best fic, and story that I have ever read in my life. I loved everything about it and it will always be among my favorites.

Hearts of Ice by: Krista Perry

A Great and inspiring tale, which probably deserves at least thirty percent of the credit for this fic. It is the other, either the best or second best fic, or story I've ever read. It has been my favorite since I first read it in 2002 and now it's inspired this. Thank you Krista Perry. Now finish your fic!

The Iris Tales by: Night Elf

Another great series of stories dealing with angst to degrees I can hardly comprehend.

And all other fics whom I've read and been changed by! There are many and not enough words in my fingers to write them all.

Silence-Darkness:

Special thanks to this guy as he pre-read this chapter (and hopefully will do so for the sequel). Thank you! There are some things from your prereading that I followed and some that I didn't. Sorry but my story must be inconclusive. As was "The Fellowship of the Ring" And Eragon. And the Wheel of Time books since the second one. The conclusive ending will be the sequels ending. I tried to make it slightly less opaque in many areas however, and I think you will approve.

(By the way, I suck with commas. And to think I'm one of the best in my senior class of three hundred... hmm... sad.)

Reviewers (In no particular order)

Rui-Costa   
Lerris   
Shakeval   
C. Rose   
Borg Rabbit   
Really Bad Fanfiction   
Ranger5   
Preventer Squall   
Obsidian-Fox   
Higashikazi   
Wot   
Tax-zombie   
Ranma Hibiki   
Imortis   
Innortal   
Kyrtythren

And everyone else! Thank you all very much for your reviews! I love to read your criticisms and opinions, and I'm glad you liked it!

Last and certainly not least is a special thanks to my Girlfriend, Chels, who doesn't seem to think my writing is bad or stupid at all like I thought she would. Heh

**Love you Chels!**

Have a good Spring and look forward to my Sequel! P.S.

If you would like to leave a **review** I'd really appreciate it. I want to hit **400** SOO bad!


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